Marking of load securing and lifting equipment
Table of Contents:
- What does “CE” stand for?
- What is the CE mark?
- Who is allowed to issue a CE mark?
- Which products are subject to the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC?
- How are Dolezych load handling attachments marked?
Is the combination of CE and GS markings permissible?
CE mark
The abbreviation CE comes from the French and means “Communauté Européenne” (in German: europäische Gemeinschaft).
The CE marking is a directive issued by the European Community for compliance with safety and health requirements. This means that manufacturers whose products bear the CE mark guarantee that all the necessary requirements have been met in accordance with the relevant directives (Art. 4(1) 2006/42/EC). The CE mark is therefore an expression of the manufacturer’s responsibility.
Who is allowed to issue a CE mark?
The GS mark is issued by an approved body (GS body). The authorization to act as a GS body is granted by the Central Authority of the Federal States for Safety Engineering (ZLS), which also supervises the GS bodies.
Which Dolezych products are subject to the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC?
Depending on the type of products a manufacturer produces, different guidelines apply. The directive relevant to Dolezych is the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.
The Machinery Directive relates, among other things, to machinery, lifting accessories and slings.
- Machinery is defined as “an assembly of linked parts or components, at least one of which moves, which are joined together for lifting operations and whose sole source of power is directly applied human effort“ (Article 2a 2006/42/EC). Thus, according to this definition, lever hoists, for example, are considered to be machines.
- As “Lifting accessory” means a “component or piece of equipment other than lifting machinery”. [bezeichnet]which enables the load to be grasped and which is placed between the machinery and the load or on the load itself or which is intended to become an integral part of the load and which is placed on the market separately” (Art. 2d 2006/42/EC). This includes, for example, our slings such as lifting slings, round slings or sling chains and ropes, which must be tested.
Important: Lashing straps are not covered by the Machinery Directive. They are not CE marked.
How are Dolezych machines and load handling devices marked?
The complete marking of a Dolezych lifting accessory consists of the CE mark, the maximum allowable working load, the manufacturer, the year of manufacture and the material (Art. 4.3.2 2006/42/EC).
Dolezych Black Series lever hoist CE marked in accordance with the Machinery Directive:
GS mark
The abbreviation “GS” stands for “Tested Safety”.
The GS mark is a voluntary safety mark issued by an independent accredited testing company for ready-to-use products. It ensures that products meet the quality and safety standards of the Product Safety Act and is valid for a maximum of five years. In order for the certificate to be renewed, , for example, the production site and, above all, the product are checked to see whether they still correspond to the originally certified sample. The aim of these inspections, which are usually carried out annually, is quality assurance.
Lashing strap label with GS marking:
Is the combination of CE and GS markings permissible?
Yes, a combination of both license plates is allowed. The GS mark is a voluntary mark, whereas the CE mark is mandatory for certain products. The GS mark can also be used to identify products that are not covered by the Machinery Directive and therefore do not have a CE mark.
The bottom label of a lifting strap shows both a CE and a GS mark.
Overview of CE and GS marks
What is the difference between the CE and GS test seals?
| Name | CE marking | GS mark |
 |  | |
| Use | Mandatory | Voluntary |
| Basic statement | Declaration by the manufacturer that the product conforms to the requirements of the EU regulations for CE marking (e.g. safety, environmental, EMC or performance requirements). | Confirmation by an institution independent of the manufacturer that the product complies with the health and safety regulations. |
| Legal basis | EU regulations + transposition into national law | Product Safety Act(ProdSG) |
| Product areas | Variety of industrial products | Ready-to-use products to which the ProdSG applies |
| Are there control measures by an independent institution? | Usually not. They are only obligatory if they are specified in the legal regulation. | Yes, in this way the testing and certification body ensures that only products corresponding to the tested type are placed on the market. |
| Where are cases of misuse published? | Possibly in the database of the market surveillance authorities (http://www.icsms.org). | By the GS office |
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