Certification of Products (GS)

GS Certification of Products according to the German Product Safety Act (ProdSG)

In the consumer’s understanding, usability, safety and harmlessness to health are substantial criteria for the quality of products and, of course, of furniture.

By way of the ProdSG, the legislator imposes that products must be marketed only if (provided they are used as to their intended and anticipated purpose) they do not threaten the safety and health of people.

Beyond this statutory duty, the German ProdSG provides manufacturers and commercial traders with the opportunity of having the safety and harmlessness to health of their products certified, expressed by the GS (‘tested safety’) mark.

The EPH is an accredited and recognised body for the testing and certification of furniture pursuant to the ProdSG and for awarding the GS mark.

The certification programme for granting the GS certificate comprises the following elements:

• Type testing
• Initial inspection of the manufacturing site
• Certification and agreement on regularly inspecting the manufacturing site

GS certificates issued in 2016

GS certificates issued in 2017

GS certificates issued in 2018

GS certificates issued in 2019

GS certificates issued in 2020

GS certificates issued in 2021

GS certificates issued in 2022

 Notes:

• A GS certificate can be awarded for max. five years and remains valid as long as the standard basics and provisions regarding a) hazards to the safety and health of people provided the product is used as to their intended and anticipated purpose and/or b) the marking of the product have not substantially changed in the meantime. But it can be extended upon application unless the manufacture /design or the validity of standard basics have not changed.

• Withdrawal of an awarded GS mark: The Certification Body withdraws an awarded GS mark if the requirements pursuant to § 3 and § 5 ProdSG have changed or if the requirements which need to be met when manufacturing the technical means in order to guarantee its agreement with its examined type are not complied with.

• It is regarded an offence if, in violation of § 20 para. 1 ProdSG, the GS mark is used and/or the GS mark is used in advertising (§ 22 para.2).

• Any withdrawal of an awarded GS mark is reported by the GS Certification Body to the Central Body of the German Federal States for Safety Engineering (ZLS).

 

You will encounter competent contact partners at our accredited test laboratories for furniture testing in Dresden and Detmold when it is about preparing and performing type examinations of prototypes.

Our GS Certifications Body in Dresden is your contact point for arranging on-site visits to manufacturers and the schedule of certification.