Why your BIC pen has a hole in its lid

Ever wondered why your BIC pen comes with a hole atop its lid? I am sure you took time off to look at the pen to be sure it surely has a hole in the lid at the top.

Well, some may have bad experiences with the lid, we are talking about those who while in their white uniform shirt at school out the pen in the pocket and the ink escaped through the same lid, littering their only shirt with all the ink.

Others have a very good experience with the lid, we are talking about the boys who while playing soccer noticed they needed a referee but there was no whistle- and from no where someone produces the BIC lid and paaap..problem solved.

Do not conclude yet, the hole on top of the BIC pen lid is not to provide you with a make shift whistle, but the Bairo and Lighter Company explains the presence of that tiny hole atop is to stop you from choking should you swallow the lid.

Some of us have a very bad habit of chewing any kind of pen that we lay our hands on, some of you have been victims after lending someone a newly bought pen but they return it with the lid bitten and crushed like sugarcane.

Well, these are the same people the BIC company is trying to help, should they in the process of devouring your pen forget and swallow the lid, the company explains that they will continue inhaling using any of the available holes on the lead.

According to the BIC website; “The reason that some BIC pens have a hole in their cap is to prevent the cap from completely obstructing the airway if accidently inhaled. This is requested by the international safety standards ISO11540, except for in cases where the cap is considered too large to be a choking hazard.”

However, it is not guaranteed that you will inhale correctly and will not die when you swallow the pen lid, so do not go around snatching BIC pens and swallowing their lids.

In 2007 Ben Stirland, a 13-year-old boy from Durham, died after falling off his chair and swallowing his pen lid.