Boy Killed By Exploding Office Chair

The Land of Smeg writes "A fourteen-year-old boy was killed after the chair he was sitting on exploded, propelling sharp chairs parts into his rectum, resulting in extensive bleeding, to which he succumbed before medical attention could stem the flow. The chair in question was a standard gas cylinder type, where the height is regulated by an adjustable cylinder containing highly pressurized gas, and it was this which exploded, sending high velocity chair parts into the posterior of the unfortunate youth."

Comments

This is an old, existing problem.

[pcgabe]

Per this story from the '80s:

The problem has cropped up with adjustable office chairs fitted with
nitrogen gas cylinders in place of the conventional springs in their height
control mechanism. Preliminary findings suggest that metal fatigue cracks
can develop in the cylinders, possibly caused by the poor chairs being asked
to cope with more than they can bear.

In short, if your chair uses a spring (most likely), then you are in no danger. You can sit easily now.