GS Certification

The GS Certification system was established in 1968, initially under the Equipment Safety Act (GSG). After multiple revisions, the current legal basis is the GPSG (Product Safety Act) updated in 2015. The GS mark applies only to products that have passed Type Testing and Factory Inspection Qualified products, indicating that the product has exceeded the minimum regulatory requirements for safety and has met higher safety standards.

GS Certification mainly targets electrically operated products (handheld, portable, fixed, mobile), including household appliances, IT and communication equipment, lighting products, power tools, laboratory equipment, and measurement/control equipment. In recent years, the scope has been expanding, with some non-electricalproducts (such as bicycles, furniture, etc.) can also obtain the GS mark through specific safety standards.

GS Certification Safety Tests are conducted according to German or European standards (EN/DIN). Core standards include EN 60335-1 (Household Appliance Safety), EN 62368-1 (Audio/Video and IT Equipment Safety), EN 60598-1 (Luminaire Safety), EN 62841-1 (Power Tools Safety), etc. Test Items cover electrical safety, mechanical safety, thermal safety, fire safety, chemical safety, and other aspects.

Electrical Safety Tests include: Dielectric strength test - verifies insulation material ability to withstand high voltage; touch current test - ensures no dangerous contact current at accessible parts; ground continuity test - verifies protective earthing path reliability; temperature rise test - measures temperatures of various components under normal and abnormal operating conditions to ensure they do not exceed standard limits.

Mechanical Safety Test includes: Shock Test, Drop Test, Stress Release Test, Moving Part Protection Test, Stability Test, etc. Fire Resistance Test includes: glow wire test, needle flame test, horizontal/vertical combustion test, etc. to evaluate the flame retardant properties of the material. In addition, GS Certification also pays special attention to chemical safety, requiring the detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in materials that may come into contact with the skin in the product, and the limits are based on the requirements of Af PS GS 2014: 01 Pak (now renamed Af PS GS 2019: 01 Pak).

GS Certification is a Voluntary Certification and cannot replace CE Certification. Before applying for GS Certification, it is recommended to complete relevant CE Certification tests first to ensure the product meets European an Union regulatory basic requirements. GS Certification sets higher Safety Requirements on top of CE, and both can be conducted simultaneously to save testing time and cost.

PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) testing is a distinctive requirement of GS Certification. According to Af PS GS 2019:01 PAK requirements, all materials that may contact skin (such as plastics, rubber, coatings, etc.) must be tested for 18 PAH content. Different product categories (for children, expected prolonged skin contact, expected short-term skin contact, others) have different limit requirements, ranging from0.2 mg/kg to 20 mg/kg.