ESTI: Increase in non-compliant electrical equipment on the market
15% of the electrical products inspected by the Swiss Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations ESTI in 2022 showed defects. A total of 94 sales bans had to be imposed. In addition, 13 recalls and safety warnings of electrical equipment were published.
The Swiss Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations ESTI carries out market surveillance throughout Switzerland. This is carried out in accordance with the Ordinance on Low-Voltage Electrical Products (NEV; SR 734.26). Electrical products for household, office, trade and industry are randomly tested for conformity and safety. According to the latest report, 1375 electrical appliances were recorded for inspection on the Internet and with on-site inspections at points of sale. Further checks were carried out directly at manufacturers' premises, through follow-up inspections and on the basis of reports from private individuals as well as from professionals in the electrical sector. In total, 210 products showed formal or technical defects, which corresponds to 15% of all inspected electrical products. Of these, 123 products were found to have safety-related defects that could lead to potential hazards such as electric shock, scalding, smoke development or fire.
94 Sales bans issued
If there is a potential risk to persons or if the proof of conformity is missing or incomplete, the ESTI can prohibit a product from being made available on the market. In the year under review, 94 sales bans were issued for these reasons. The products affected were various household and office appliances, LED lights, chargers, power banks and domestic batteries. Various products for industrial use in potentially explosive atmospheres (ATEX zones) in industry and commerce were banned. In addition, numerous electrical appliances with an unauthorized foreign plug were again affected by a sales ban.
The supply of electrical appliances with a foreign plug (in particular a Schuko plug) is generally prohibited in Switzerland, as live parts can be touched when attempting to plug the appliance into the socket or through incorrect manipulation of the plug connection. In addition, such plug connections can be overloaded during operation and thus cause a fire. Consumers should reject such electrical appliances directly at the point of sale and can contact ESTI using the contact form at http://www.esti.admin.ch submit a notification. In 41 cases, economic operators in Switzerland have withdrawn defective products from the market in cooperation with ESTI. In 13 cases, these recalls or safety warnings were additionally published on the communication channels of the Consumer Affairs Bureau FOC at http://www.konsum.admin.ch respectively http://www.recallswiss.admin.ch published. These were travel adapters, insect killers, solar panels, dehydrators, various LED lights, various lithium batteries and travel chargers.
Non-compliant electrical appliances: beware of non-European online platforms
Due to the rapid technological development, ESTI also received numerous inquiries from manufacturers, dealers and private individuals about charging stations (wallboxes) and charging cables for electromobility, components for photovoltaic systems (inverters, solar modules, grid-connection units, etc.), plug-and-play photovoltaic systems up to 600W power, power banks and house batteries for private and residential use, and the new Swiss IP55 household plug-in system for wet areas.
ESTI points out to exercise caution especially when purchasing on non-European platforms and websites without a reachable Swiss contact address of the operator. Consumers are responsible for the dangers and risks posed by the device. Caution is also advised with bargains: Often such offered devices are inferior goods with incomplete product tests, which are or can become unsafe over a longer period of operation due to inferior electrical components and rudimentary construction. For consumers, this is hardly recognizable by eye.
Pay attention to safety signs
When purchasing electrical appliances, consumers can look for a correct Swiss plug, accessible and competent customer service, comprehensible operating instructions and test marks affixed to the appliance. One recognized Swiss test mark is the voluntary safety mark of ESTI (see below). Devices certified with the safety mark are available at http://www.esti.admin.ch published. Devices with recognized test marks demonstrate higher standards of product safety and thus offer consumers added value.
