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Selling other consumer goods in Switzerland

In Switzerland, consumer products without more specific rules fall under the Product Safety Act (PrSG): they must be safe in normal and foreseeable use, and businesses report dangerous products to the enforcement authority. SECO coordinates enforcement. Prepackages state their quantity under the MeAV. Toys, electronics, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware have their own guides.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Covers
Packaged non-food products without a guide of their own
Safety
Product Safety Act (PrSG) and Ordinance (PrSV)
Coordination
SECO; specialist bodies such as Suva and the bfu control
Instructions
In the official language of the region of use
Text warnings in instructions
In German, French and Italian, or symbols
Quantity
Ordinance on Quantity Indications (MeAV)

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is it a toy, electrical product, textile, cleaning product or kitchen article with its own guide, or another utility article under food law? Read more
  2. 2Is the product safe in normal and foreseeable use, with markings and warnings to match its risks? Read more
  3. 3Are the instructions and warnings in the right languages? Read more
  4. 4Can you produce the technical documents and any declaration of conformity for ten years? Read more
  5. 5Does the prepackage state the nominal quantity, the product name and the responsible business? Read more
  6. 6Is there a way to report a dangerous product to the authority at once? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Which rules apply

Where the Product Safety Act sits among Swiss product rules.

  • The PrSG applies to the commercial or professional placing on the market of products, unless other federal rules with the same aim exist (PrSG Article 1).
  • Food law covers several consumer products as utility articles, including food contact articles, cosmetics, clothing and textiles, toys, candles, matches, lighters and joke articles, aerosols and furnishing articles (LMG Article 5).
  • Candles, incense and similar articles may release substances only in harmless amounts, with lead in wicks limited to 600 mg/kg; lighters are child-resistant and novelty lighters are prohibited (HKV Articles 23 and 25).
  • SECO says products lawfully on the EU market may also be placed on the Swiss market under the Cassis de Dijon principle, with a negative list of exceptions.

How we help: Compliant Always works out which of these sets of rules applies to your product and keeps the documents behind each one together. Ask about this

Safety requirements

What the Product Safety Act asks of a product.

  • Products may be placed on the market if, in normal or reasonably foreseeable use, they do not endanger, or only slightly endanger, the safety and health of users and third parties (PrSG Article 3).
  • They meet the essential safety and health requirements or, where none are set, the state of knowledge and technology; products made to designated technical standards are presumed to comply (PrSG Articles 3 and 5).
  • Marking, packaging, instructions, warnings and disposal information match the product's specific risks (PrSG Article 3).
  • Instructions are in the official language of the part of the country where the product is likely to be used, and text warnings in them are in all three official languages, or replaced by symbols where enough (PrSV Article 8).

How we help: Compliant Always reads your instructions and warnings against these requirements and shows which languages are missing. Ask about this

Technical documents and conformity

What a business can produce to show a product is safe.

  • Whoever places a product on the market must be able to show it meets the essential safety and health requirements (PrSG Article 5).
  • The technical documents and any declaration of conformity can be produced for the product's stated or foreseeable lifetime, and for at least ten years from manufacture (PrSV Article 10).
  • They are provided to enforcement bodies in an official language or English (PrSV Article 10).
  • A declaration of conformity is issued by the manufacturer or its representative established in Switzerland (PrSV Article 9).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps technical documents, test reports and declarations with each product, dated, and shows when a keeping period ends. Ask about this

Quantity and prepackage labelling

How the contents of a prepackage are stated.

  • Quantities are given in legal units or by count, exactly, without ranges or «approx.» (MeAV Article 4).
  • Prepackages show the nominal quantity, the name of the product it refers to, and the responsible manufacturer or importer (MeAV Article 11).
  • The nominal quantity by weight or volume is in kg, g, l, cl or ml, with minimum letter heights set by quantity, such as 6 mm above 1000 g or 100 cl, legible without opening the pack (MeAV Article 11).
  • The cantons check compliance, with the Federal Institute of Metrology supervising (MeAV Article 34).

How we help: Compliant Always reads your pack artwork against these particulars and shows what is missing. Ask about this

After sale: monitoring and reporting

What manufacturers, importers and distributors do once a product is on sale.

  • Manufacturers and importers of consumer products take measures to recognise risks, avert them and trace the product, and examine safety complaints (PrSG Article 8).
  • Distributors help monitor the safety of products on the market and cooperate with manufacturers, importers and enforcement bodies (PrSG Article 8).
  • A business that finds its product endangers safety or health tells the enforcement body at once, with the product's identity, the risk, its supply chain and the measures taken (PrSG Article 8).
  • Enforcement bodies may ban sale, order warnings, withdrawal or recall, and warn the public if the business does not act in time (PrSG Article 10).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps complaint records and supplier and customer details with each product, so a report can be prepared from the record. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerProduct safety, technical documents, and reporting dangerous products; includes anyone selling under their own name.Technical documents and test reports kept with each product.
ImporterThe same duties where the manufacturer is abroad, and traceability of what it supplies.Suppliers' documents read and dated before the goods arrive.
DistributorHelping monitor safety and cooperating with the manufacturer, importer and authorities.Questionnaires answered from the product record.
Manufacturer's representativeCounts as manufacturer when acting for one based abroad.The documents it must produce kept in one place, dated.

Who enforces

SECO coordinates enforcement of the Product Safety Act and supervises market surveillance; control bodies include Suva, the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (Schweizerische Beratungsstelle für Unfallverhütung, bfu) and specialist organisations named by the WBF (PrSV Articles 3, 20 and 25).

Utility articles under food law, such as candles, lighters and joke articles, are checked by the cantonal enforcement authorities.

Questions businesses ask

Which law covers general consumer products in Switzerland?
The Product Safety Act (PrSG) and Product Safety Ordinance (PrSV), where no more specific federal rules apply. Several consumer articles fall under food law as utility articles instead.
What does the Product Safety Act require?
That products do not endanger, or only slightly endanger, users' safety and health in normal or foreseeable use, and meet the essential requirements or the state of the art (PrSG Article 3).
Which language must instructions be in?
The official language of the region where the product is likely to be used. Text warnings in instructions are in German, French and Italian, or shown as symbols (PrSV Article 8).
How long are technical documents kept?
For the product's stated or foreseeable lifetime, and at least ten years from manufacture (PrSV Article 10).
Who counts as the manufacturer?
Anyone who puts their name or mark on the product, represents a manufacturer based abroad, or reconditions it (PrSG Article 2).
What must be reported, and to whom?
A product that endangers users' safety or health, reported at once to the enforcement body, with the product, risk, supply chain and measures taken (PrSG Article 8).
Can products legally sold in the EU be sold in Switzerland?
Often, under the Cassis de Dijon principle, as SECO describes. A negative list sets out exceptions, and food needs an FSVO authorisation.
How is quantity labelled on prepackages?
As an exact nominal quantity in legal units or by count, with the product name and the responsible manufacturer or importer (MeAV Articles 4 and 11).
Are lighters regulated?
Yes. Lighters are child-resistant, with limited exceptions, and lighters with an entertainment effect are prohibited (HKV Article 25).
Where are toys, electronics and textiles covered?
In their own guides. Cleaning products and kitchenware also have their own guides, because more specific rules apply to them.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in Switzerland?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Switzerland and what your paperwork needs to show.

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