In Service Product Failure

One of the most common problems that I have addressed over the years is in service product failure.  The problems range from buckling/cracking of wood flooring to failure of utility poles, chairs, decks, fences, bleachers, roofs, deer stands, ladders, etc.   The first question we must determine is a big one.  Is this a manufacturing problem or improper use/application problem.  I have seen instances when it is clearly one or the other and in some cases both.   As a consumer/user we can’t do much for products that are improperly designed and/or manufactured.  However, we can educate ourselves to try to buy the right product for the job.

The second question we must determine is also a biggie.  Was the product inspected and/or maintained over time?  If so, who did it?, What did they do?  What were their credentials?  Was a standard operating procedure being used to determine the nature and frequency of the inspection?  What documentation do we have? 

One example of improper design was a bar stool that was very tall with three small legs that were connected with glue.  An insufficient amount of glue was applied creating what is known as a starved glue joint.  It was inventible that the chair would eventually fail and it did.