Division 6.1 Folding chair
United Kingdom
A folding chair has a folding mechanism constructed in such a way that the user's fingers can get trapped between the seat and the folding mechanism. This can lead to fractures or even loss of one or more fingers.
Determination of risk(s)
| Injury scenario | Injury type and location | Severity of injury | Probability of injury | Overall probability | Risk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Person unfolds the chair, grips seat close to the back corner by mistake (Person inattentive/ distracted), finger gets caught between seat and backrest | Minor pinching of finger | 1 | Unfolding the chair | 1 | 1/500 | Low risk |
| Gripping the seat at back corner while unfolding | 1/50 | |||||
| Finger gets caught | 1/10 | > 1/1 000 | ||||
| Minor pinching | 1 | |||||
| Person unfolds the chair, grips seat at the side by mistake (Person inattentive/ distracted), finger gets caught between seat and link | Minor pinching of finger | 1 | Unfolding the chair | 1 | 1/500 | Low risk |
| Gripping the seat at the side while unfolding | 1/50 | |||||
| Finger gets caught | 1/10 | > 1/1 000 | ||||
| Minor pinching | 1 | |||||
| Person unfolds the chair, chair is clamped, person tries to push down the seat and grips seat close to the corner by mistake (Person inattentive/ distracted), finger gets caught between seat and backrest | Fracture of finger | 2 | Unfolding the chair | 1 | 1/500 000 | Low risk |
| Chair clamps | 1/1 000 | |||||
| Gripping the seat at corners while unfolding | 1/50 | |||||
| Finger gets caught | 1/10 | > 1/1 000 000 | ||||
| Fracture of finger | 1 | |||||
| Person unfolds the chair, chair is clamped, person tries to push down the seat and grips seat at the side by mistake (Person inattentive/ distracted), finger gets caught between seat and link | Fracture of finger | 2 | Unfolding the chair | 1 | 1/500 000 | Low risk |
| Chair clamps | 1/1 000 | |||||
| Gripping the seat at the side while unfolding | 1/50 | |||||
| Finger gets caught | 1/10 | > 1/1 000 000 | ||||
| Fracture of finger | 1 | |||||
| Person is sitting on chair, wants to move the chair and tries to lift it by gripping the chair at the rear part of the seat, finger gets caught between seat and backrest | Loss of digit | 3 | Sitting on chair | 1 | 1/6 000 | High risk |
| Moves the chair while sitting | 1/2 | |||||
| Grips chair at rear part while moving | 1/2 | |||||
| Chair partially folds, creating a gap between the backrest and seat | 1/3 | > 1/10 000 | ||||
| Finger is between backrest and seat | 1/5 | |||||
| Finger gets caught | 1/10 | |||||
| Loss of (part of) finger | 1/10 | |||||
| Person is sitting on chair, wants to move the chair and tries to lift it by gripping the chair at the rear part of the seat, finger gets caught between seat and link | Loss of digit | 3 | Sitting on chair | 1 | 1/6 000 | High risk |
| Moves the chair while sitting | 1/2 | |||||
| Grips chair at rear part while moving | 1/2 | |||||
| Chair partially folds, creating a gap between the backrest and seat | 1/3 | > 1/10 000 | ||||
| Finger is between backrest and seat | 1/5 | |||||
| Finger gets caught | 1/10 | |||||
| Loss of (part of) finger | 1/10 | |||||
The overall risk of the folding chair is thus ‘high risk’.
Notes on Division
Footnotes
- f1
-
If you need more information on the Risk Assessment method for harmonised products (both consumer and professional products) in relation to broader categories of public risks protected under EU harmonisation legislation, please refer to Part I, Chapter 5.3.