A ski binding is a remarkablysophisticated but delicate product. Design errors or production defects canresult in fatal accidents. However, how can users be provided with guidelineswhen reliable quality inspections require a measurement laboratory and in-depthknowledge in the field of sports medicine?
It was a question resourceful TÜVBayern employees asked themselves, particularly as they had taken up the causeof advocating “consumer safety.” The Federal Ministry of Labour came up withthe idea of a generally recognised seal for “certified safety” (GeprüfteSicherheit – GS).
The concept is not new, but allprevious attempts to establish a comprehensive certification seal failed due toa lack of agreement between various industries, associations, testinginstitutes and policy-makers.
This time, however, theinitiative was successful: In the winter of 1977–78, the GS logo was placed onhundreds of thousands of skis in West German stores. Soon, the “TÜV stickers”for motor vehicles became a familiar sight to consumers.
