Office Depot recalling 319,000 office chairs

Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, April 6, 2012

WASHINGTON — Office Depot, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, has announced a voluntary recall of 319,000 office chairs.

The company is recalling the Biella leather desk chairs, an Office Depot brand product that was imported by Swinton Avenue Trading of Boca Raton, Fla. The chairs were produced by a Chinese factory called Wonderful Year Inc.

A total of 307,000 of the chairs in the U.S. and 12,000 in Canada are being recalled.

There have been 11 reported incidents where the weld connecting the seat plate to the gas lift has failed, the CPSC said. This has created a fall hazard that has resulted a number of injuries including minor contusions and abrasions.

The chairs have a black leather fabric and have the SKU number 130548 "REG. No. PA-25498 (CN)" printed on a label on the underside of the seat. They were sold exclusively at Office Depot stores nationwide and at www.officedepot.com from January 2002 through December 2008 for about $55.

Consumers have been advised to stop using the chairs immediately. To obtain a refund, they can contact the Office Depot recall hotline at (866) 403-3763 or visit www.officedepot.com.