Every seventh electrical product with defects
14% of the electrical products inspected by the Inspectorate of Heavy Current Esti in 2016 showed defects. Again, 82 sales bans had to be imposed.
Market surveillance by the Swiss Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations (Esti) is carried out on a random basis throughout Switzerland. The 1545 products checked were recorded during visits to wholesalers, specialist markets, manufacturers and trade fairs, as well as during checks on websites and in the print media, according to the Esti. Inspections were also carried out on the basis of reports from consumers, competitors and experts from the electrical sector.
221 defective products
According to Esti, a total of 221 products with defects were found, which corresponds to 14% of the inspected products. This includes 130 products with safety defects.
If there is a risk to users, the Esti can ban the corresponding products: in 2016, as in the previous year, 82 sales bans had to be issued. Particularly affected were portable household appliances, LED lights, power strips, power cords, timers, batteries and chargers for laptops and smartphones, as well as various devices with unsafe or unauthorized plugs. Once again, the Inspectorate for Heavy Current points out that the sale of electrical devices with foreign household plugs (e.g. Schuko plugs) is prohibited in Switzerland.
Attention for online purchases
Caution is advised when buying very low-priced electrical equipment online directly from the Far East, warns the Esti. Thus one is responsible for the conformity of the imported devices. Often, these devices are imitation products, which can become unsafe especially in longer operation due to the use of electrically inadequate components and a simplified design.
When buying electrical appliances, Esti recommends that consumers look for suppliers with an accessible and competent customer service in Switzerland and that they pay attention to informative operating instructions and test marks affixed to the product. Recognized Swiss test marks are, for example, the Esti safety mark (devices with the safety mark are available under www.esti.admin.ch published) and the SEV mark of conformity from Electrosuisse. Devices with these test marks would demonstrate higher demands on product safety, it concludes.
