TUV SUD centre will test industrial/consumer goods

TUV is recognised in the industry for its own stringent 'TUV octagon' compliance mark, which is part of ensuring what people buy is safe and reliable.

More than 29,000 TUV octagon marks can be found on a variety of products, and companies that use it include Hewlett Packard, Black and Decker, Tandberg and Dyson.

The TUV octagon mark goes beyond the one-off type testing required by CE marking, as a product must not only comply with the relevant standards, but additionally, manufacturing facilities must pass an annual audit and specific claims about the product's performance must also be proven.

According to the company, the TUV mark carries great credence as it is tough to get and consumers in Germany will think twice about buying a product that doesn't have the octagon mark on it.

TUV SUD Product Service was created by German safety company TUV SUD in 1989 and now has an international network of more than 15,000 auditors and engineers in 600 locations worldwide.

Over the last two decades TUV SUD Product Service has established a large one-stop testing shop as it has a fully integrated, single-site facility for EMC, environmental and telecoms testing.

In the last 21 years it has tested a wide variety of products including the new electric Mini, Formula One modules and Tetra communication devices for the emergency services.

It also works for many European countries as product-safety surveillance officers, as well as working directly for retailers.