SGS is offering GS Mark testing and certification to furniture manufacturers to help them comply with this widely-recognized and trusted voluntary standard.

The GS Mark (it stands for 'Geprüfte Sicherheit' and means 'tested safety') is a voluntary certification mark applicable to many finished products, including furniture. The Mark signifies compliance with the statutory safety requirements of the German Product Safety Act (ProdSG), which are more stringent than the EN standard.

As a third-party organization recently accredited by the German authorities to perform the necessary tests and certify compliance, SGS is now allowed to award the Mark.

SGS-TÜV Saar GmbH in Sulzbach, Germany is a notified body for GS Mark testing and certification. It performs tests on furniture for educational institutions, laboratory and workshop furniture, and other special furniture.

SGS Shanghai in China is approved for GS Mark testing on free-standing cabinets for kitchens, living areas and bathrooms, outdoor furniture, seating (including upholstered furniture) and tables, children's furniture, and office furniture.

GS Mark Benefits and Process

For furniture manufacturers, retailers and consumers across Europe, the GS Mark is seen as a mark of quality, even though it covers only safety. There is a perception in the market that products with the Mark can be trusted more than those without it.

To receive GS Mark certification, furniture manufacturers must undertake a product safety assessment and production line (or factory) audit. Most manufacturers follow a two-stage process of firstly taking (and passing) the product test before then having the factory audit completed.

SGS: Ensuring Compliance With ProdSG, GS Mark And More

SGS experts are able to assess furniture products for compliance with all of the statutory requirements of the ProdSG. These include the requirements addressing electrical and mechanical safety, chemical and hazardous materials, ergonomics and noise emissions.

In addition to these services, SGS has a global network of furniture labs that can test for compliance with EU, US, international and local requirements. In Asia, the company has four labs in mainland China, one in Hong Kong, plus one each in Taiwan (Taipei) and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City). The European labs are in France (Aix en Provence), Germany (Taunusstein) and the UK (Bradford), while the Fairfield, New Jersey facility in the United States covers testing for the Americas.

Learn more about SGS furniture services >

For further information contact:

Markus Spies
Head of Certification Body
SGS-TÜV Saar GmbH
t: +49 6128 858653

Donna Gu
Operation Team & Product Certification team, Hardlines
SGS Shanghai
t: +86-21-61402666

SGS SA published this content on 04 January 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 04 January 2017 06:37:05 UTC.

Original documenthttp://www.sgs.com/en/news/2017/01/sgs-offers-gs-mark-testing-and-certification-for-furniture

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