TÜV is an internationally recognized certification that indicates a superior level of quality in a service or product. TÜV certifications are a trust signal to consumers, indicating that a product is safe and good-quality.
What is a “TÜV”?
TÜVs are independent bodies, typically companies, that perform tests and inspections on services and products, with the purpose of identifying any potential hazards or safety issues. Inspections are thorough, and successful inspections result in a certification that confirms that the service, product, technology, or system is of high quality and that all safety requirements have been met.
What does TÜV stand for?
Originating from Germany, the phrase “TÜV” is short for “Technischer Überwachungsverein”, a German word that translates to ‘Technical Inspection Association’. The concept of the TÜV dates back to Germany’s industrial revolution. In 1872, the “Verein zur Überwachung der Dampfkessel” (the Steam Boiler Monitoring Association) was established to help reduce the number of incidents of exploding boilers by introducing regular independent inspections, undertaken by professional engineers working on behalf of the association.
Why is the TÜV mark so popular?
The first TÜV proved to be extremely effective at reducing the number of accidents and there followed a growth in new associations just like it. As the number of accidents continued to decline, these associations became recognized as an efficient means of accident prevention. As more independent bodies began carrying out inspections and tests with the aim of preventing accidents and removing or reducing hazards, they remained rooted in the TÜV brand.
Is TÜV only for German and Austrian businesses?
No. Many different businesses from around the world use the TÜV mark as a signal of safety and quality in their business offerings.
Today, there are lots of different TÜVs that originate from Germany, including TÜV SÜD, TÜV Nord, TÜV Hessen, TÜV Thüringen, and TÜV Rheinland for example. They serve governments, non-profits, and individuals, and have expanded their market to serve businesses beyond the borders of Germany and Austria. Globalization in the 1970s saw the entrance of many German TÜVs into foreign markets. For example, TÜV Rheinland which was established in 1872 started out as an association serving a specific region of Germany and has since grown into a leading independent certifier at a global scale, serving millions of customers each year worldwide. Today, many TÜVs exist to serve specific markets, such as TÜV UK Ltd founded in 1979, which serves the British market. These associations are accessible to many different industries, including medical, infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, and consumer products.
Is TÜV the only certification on the market?
No. There are other certifications that are similar to TÜV that are available and the TÜV certification is not to be mistaken as the only certification used by businesses and recognized by consumers.
Most countries have one or two of their own accreditation agencies or bodies that perform a role similar to a TÜV. Examples include the CE in the European Union, the FCC in the United States, and the CSA in Canada. That being said, the TÜV certification is now internationally recognized as a mark of quality and safety, assured by an independent organization, and is popular amongst businesses worldwide.
What are the TÜV standards for certification?
At a very basic level, minimum requirements for testing encompass safety-related aspects of a product’s functionality or performance. Some products are required by law to receive certain testing, so many businesses use TÜV certification as proof that certain goods meet regulatory requirements of safety and quality standards.
The standards are determined for different products and market sectors, and are set out by various different TÜVs, depending on which market sector they serve. The process for testing is typically four-fold: selection, evaluation, certification, and surveillance. These four stages provide an ongoing analysis of the product’s performance, even after initial testing proves satisfactory. Products are also tested to be safe for the environment ,safe to be stored and handled by manufacturers, as well as safe for the general public’s use.
How is the TÜV mark beneficial to businesses?
The TÜV brand is recognized throughout Europe and the rest of the world as a symbol of quality, safety and reliability in consumer goods. Consumers can easily view the ‘test results’ of the safety and quality test, by checking for the TÜV mark on the product. This acts as a form of approval that the product has passed necessary tests for quality, safety, and reliability and that additional measures of surveillance are being undertaken, so that products that become unsafe can be quickly removed from the market.
The TÜV mark therefore also provides value to businesses as a trust-building tool; it behaves as a reliable decision-making aid for consumers who are browsing and choosing products. Consumers come to understand through a simple glance at a product if it has been checked and certified by an independent accredited third party.
Many TÜVs will test a product against both regulatory standards and internal standards set by the manufacturer, that usually entail quality and performance checks. The mark helps protect the employer as well as the consumer; it prevents faulty or poor-quality products from entering the market, creating additional costs further down the line.
What TÜV testing is used for air purifiers?
TÜV testing can be used to demonstrate the safety and quality of air purifying systems. In the case of the TADIRAN AIROW 3™, testing by both TÜV and Intertek showed that the air purification device does not emit more than 0.005PPM of ozone.
Is it important that air-purification solutions are certified as “Ozone free”?
Yes! Ozone is a highly reactive gas that can be released into the air by some man-made products according to the Environmental Protection Agency in the US. It is a respiratory irritant that can be very harmful to humans both on its own and if it reacts with other compounds. Therefore, in the process of purifying air, it’s vital that air purification systems do not produce any harmful byproducts or emissions like ozone, which could put people at risk. Tadiran’s AIROW 3™ produces less than 5 ppb of ozone, which is an amount well below the maximum permitted emission limits.
How is ozone emissions measured and what is UL-2998?
In the US, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is an agency that sets out requirements for businesses to show that their products produce ozone emissions below a specific rate. The CARB does this by releasing requirements written into their Standards for Electrostatic Air Cleaners.
Measurements of ozone in the air are done using “parts per million volume concentration” rates, also known as “ppm”. An earlier regulation from CARB, UL 867, required rates of ozone emissions that were below 0.050 parts per million volume air concentration, equal to 50 parts per billion (50 ppb). However, the Environmental Health Committee of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has subsequently published a report that suggested this number was still too high, and that a better limit is no higher than 0.010 ppm (10 ppb).
Consequently, the CARB introduced an Environmental Claim Validation program for Zero Ozone Emissions from Air Cleaners called UL 2998 with a required rate of no more than 0.005 ppm (5 ppb), just one tenth of the rates set out by regulation.
Air-purifiers that comply with UL-2998, like Tadiran’s AIROW 3™ offer a much more environmentally- and human-friendly option to consumers, by producing nominal amounts of ozone, well below the recommended emission rates set out by CARB.
Get TÜV-certified air purifiers from Tadiran
Businesses looking to purchase air purifiers that don’t produce any harmful byproducts can now get a TÜV-certified air purifier from Tadiran. The TADIRAN AIROW 3™ has been tested and certified as safe and effective technology for indoor spaces, suitable for residential, commercial and transportation use. The technology also complies with UL-2988 and produces nominal ozone emissions well below industry requirements whilst it works to remove mold, and other pathogens from indoor air.
