GS Certification

Certification Body.	TUV Rheinland	TUV SUD	Intertek ETL SEMKO	UL Demko	Nemko	SGS Fimko	VDE
Logo.
Nature.	Voluntary	Voluntary	Voluntary	Voluntary	Voluntary	Voluntary	Voluntary
Requirement criteria.	Security	Security	Security	Security	Security	Security	Security
Factory inspection.	Requirements.	Requirements.	Requirements.	Requirements.	Requirements.	Requirements.	Requirements.
CB Member States: Yes		Voltage: 230Vac		Frequency: 50 Hz		Plug: European Standard CEE 7/7 & 7/16

GS means "Geprufte Sicherheit" (safety certified) and "Germany Safety" (German safety), a voluntary certification based on the German Product Safety Act and tested according to the EU harmonized standard EN or German industrial standard DIN.

The GS mark indicates that the safety of use of the product has passed the test of a credible independent body.The GS mark, although not mandatory by law, does enable the manufacturer to be bound by the strict German (European) product safety law in the event of a product failure that causes an accident. Therefore, the GS mark is a powerful marketing tool that enhances customer confidence and desire to buy. Although GS is a German standard, it is recognized by the majority of European countries. And to meet the GS certification, the product will also meet the requirements of the CE marking of the European Community. Unlike CE, there is no legal compulsory requirement for GS mark, but since safety awareness has penetrated into the general consumers, an electrical appliance with GS mark may have more competitiveness in the market than general products.

The GS mark is a voluntary safety mark in Germany, but is highly valued by consumers. Many products, including power tools, information technology equipment and home appliances, are difficult to sell in or around Germany without the GS mark.

Product assessment, certification and pre-license inspection, product assessment is based on harmonized (harmonized) European standards, with reference to the Low Voltage Directive, EMC Directive and Machinery Directive. If a product that meets GS requirements does not have a relevant European standard, an IEC standard certificate will be issued, which is valid for five years. A pre-license inspection is a requirement, followed by an annual factory inspection. In addition to the electrical safety specifications of the European harmonized standards and German National Deviations, the products are evaluated according to the ZEK documents developed by ZEK and the documents prepared by the GS Interpretation Group EK1 (Exchange of Experience Forum 1). Some products are also subject to ergonomic testing.

According to ZEK 01-08, since April 1, 2008, products applying for GS certification must be evaluated for PAHs in order to comply with regulatory requirements and to avoid health hazards. This mandatory requirement applies to all materials that may contain PAHs that would come into contact with the human body or be placed in the mouth under normal use or reasonably foreseeable misuse. The ZEK 01-08 document on the assessment of PAHs has undergone several revisions. on May 15, 2019, the German Product Safety Commission (AfPS) published the new standard AfPS GS 2019:01 PAK (the old version was AfPS GS 2014:01 PAK) for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for products requiring GS certification, with the new standard coming into effect on July 1, 2020, AfPS GS 2014:01 PAK expires after June 30, 2020.

The new standard requires the following restrictions on PAHs.

The ergonomic testing required by the German GS mark covers a wide range of IT products, including LCD/tube display devices, computers, notebooks, and other computer peripherals (such as keyboards, mice, printers, scanners, etc.), all of which need to comply with the relevant ergonomic specifications in the EK1-ITB 2000 standard.