gas spring

Never allow a single gas spring or damper to be the only thing preventing a fall on to a person's body or body part. Always add redundant units, props or supports for safety.

Always take care to account for forces at the mounting points, and provide sufficient strength in connectors, mounting brackets and fasteners.

Always store and mount the gas spring or damper roughly vertical with the rod end down (except compression dampers, which should be rod up).

Always align your design such that all forces or loads are purely axial in direction.

Never allow any sideways forces on the rod or tube, and never allow any contact against rod or tube.