Safety Inspections

Satisfy Legal Requirements and Customer Demands – All in One Go

From technical equipment and investment goods, to household appliances and toys - we can test your product for safety. Whether you require the test to fulfill legal obligations or simply to check your own production according to personal standards - our experts are here to help. Even if you’re just at the start of product development, we would be happy to assist you. That way, you get onto the market quicker - and stand to save money too. You can also document your results on our free Web site, TUVdotCOM - easy to access with your personal ID number.

Benefits at a Glance

With a TÜV Rheinland safety inspection of your mechanical, chemical, or electrical product, you can:

  • Ensure that your product meets standards and fulfills legal requirements - securing your entry onto the market
  • Minimize your risk of liability
  • Benefit from our neutral seal of approval - perfect for targeted marketing
  • Help your clients decide which product is right for them
  • Save time - and money - in development

Our Services at a Glance

  • Clothing and protective equipment
  • Electronic components and lasers
  • Vehicle equipment
  • Fitness, recreation, and children's products
  • House and garden
  • Food and water
  • Medical products and technology
  • Machines and mechanical technology
  • Telecommunications and IT

The New (German) Product Safety Act (ProdSG)

German Bundestag enact the revised "law on the provision of products on the market" - the Product Safety Act (ProdSG).

On 23 September 2011, the German Bundestag enacted a revised version of the German Equipment and Product Safety Act (GPSG). The previous German Equipment and Product Safety Act has now become the Product Safety Act (ProdSG). The German Bundesrat has approved the law and it was announced on 08 November 2011 in the Federal Law Gazette.

The new (German) Product Safety Act (ProdSG) entered into force on 01 December 2011.

One aim of the new (German) Product Safety Act (ProdSG) is to purge competing regulations which result from the coexistence of the GPSG and the EC directive 765/2008 relating to accreditation and market surveillance.

In addition, with the creation of the ProdSG, the GPSG has been adapted to EC directive 765/2008.

To a large extent, this is a reformulated act with amended terms, but the requirements for manufacturers remain essentially unchanged.

The ProdSG applies to almost all types of products and only excludes special areas, such as e. g. medical products and food. It implements a range of European CE guidelines in German law and, in addition to this harmonised area, it also regulates the safety of products for which there is no European harmonisation directive.

The manufacturer's/importer's important obligations are

  • checking that manufactured ready-to-use products conform with the type.
  • that a use of the GS mark is not possible without a corresponding certificate (ProdSG paragraph 22 article 2).
  • the importer checking whether a product which bears a GS mark also has a corresponding certificate before placing it on the market.

Further obligations for products which are subject to European guidelines are regulated in the ProdSG directives.

New fines have been fixed in the Product Safety Act, e. g. for missing instructions in German and missing specifications or labels on consumer products.

The fine level has been increased in order to deter abuses and achieve lasting effectiveness. In the event of non-compliance a fine of € 10.000, and in certain circumstances, e. g. the use of a GS mark without a corresponding certificate being available, up to € 100.000 is imposed.

The penalty regulations have likewise been extended, e. g. the persistent and repeated use of the GS mark or advertising without a corresponding GS certificate. In this case, the legislative body has provided punishments ranging from a monetary fine or up to one year in prison.