Esti: over 230 safety-related deficiencies
One in seven of the electrical products inspected by the Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current in 2018 showed defects. Eighty sales bans had to be imposed.
The Swiss Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations (Esti) carries out market surveillance throughout Switzerland. Electrical products for household, office, trade and industry are randomly examined for their conformity and safety. According to Esti, 1598 products were recorded for inspection during visits to wholesalers, specialist markets, manufacturers, trade fairs and e-commerce. Inspections were also carried out on the basis of reports from consumers and experts from the electrical sector.
14% of tested products with defects
Overall, the Esti 232 products with defects, which corresponds to 14% of all inspected electrical products. This includes 110 products with safety defects, which could lead to electric shocks, scalds, injuries from broken glass, overheating and fire hazards.
In the event of a possible risk to persons, the Esti can ban the making available of a product on the market: in 2018, they had issued 80 sales bans. Particularly affected were household appliances, power strips, rechargeable batteries, chargers for laptops and smartphones, but also, for example, cable entry plates, fans, lights and pumps for industrial use.
Schuko plug prohibited
The sale of electrical devices with unauthorized foreign plugs (e.g. Schuko plugs) is generally prohibited in Switzerland, as live parts could be touched when attempting to plug them into the socket or through improper modifications to the plug connection. Consumers should reject such devices and can report them, emphasizes the Inspectorate for Heavy Current.
Consumers should also be wary of online purchases of unusually low-priced electrical appliances directly from the Far East, advises Esti. In some cases, such devices are imitation products that can become unsafe (e.g. fire hazard), especially during prolonged operation due to electrically inferior components and a simplified design.
28 products withdrawn from the market
According to Esti, in 28 cases manufacturers and distributors have withdrawn products from the market due to the Federal Product Safety Act (PrSG). In nine cases, recalls and safety information had also been published on the website of the Office of Consumer Affairs. This concerned floor lamps, ceiling lamps, power supply units, travel adapters, kettles, hair clippers, deep fryers and notebook batteries.
Tips from Esti
When buying electrical appliances, consumers should look for a correct Swiss plug, accessible and competent customer service, informative operating instructions and test marks affixed to the appliance. A recognized Swiss test mark is, for example, the Esti-Safety sign. Devices with the safety mark are to be used under www.esti.admin.ch published. Devices with recognized test marks would demonstrate higher standards of product safety and thus offer consumers added value.
Source: Esti
