scope:

Description of Driving Event:

JSC employees fell out of their office chairs when they broke. One employee was injured; the other was not. These two events were several months apart.

The model that broke is an adjustable, high-back, gray chair made by Dauphin North America, product code # SL1939 1995 model.

The investigation found fractures in the mechanism that attaches the backrest to the base. The manufacture confirms that the metal in the mechanism is not strong enough to withstand repeated stress and strain. Both failures occurred when the chair was unlocked in the full recline position.

The chairs are under warranty. Dauphin North America is manufacturing new mechanisms to replace the ones on the 1995 models. The 1996 models and succeeding have the stronger mechanism.