SEFA 8 (Laboratory Fume Hoods Recommended Practice)

SEFA 8 is the Laboratory Fume Hoods Recommended Practice published by the Scientific Equipment and Furniture Association (SEFA), a nonprofit trade association whose membership includes laboratory furniture and fume hood manufacturers, distributors, and institutional end users. It is one of a numbered series of consensus Recommended Practices SEFA publishes covering the construction, installation, and performance of laboratory casework and equipment. SEFA 8 specifically addresses fume hood construction and containment/face-velocity performance testing, and it is the document that most laboratory fume hood buying specifications and vendor cut sheets cite when they claim “SEFA-compliant” performance.

Not to be confused with: in US federal grants administration, “SEFA” is also the abbreviation for the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards required under 2 CFR 200.510 as part of a Single Audit reporting package. See Single Audit (US) for that unrelated meaning. This page is about the laboratory furniture/fume hood industry standard.

What SEFA 8 covers

SEFA 8 sets out recommended construction requirements and performance test protocols for laboratory fume hoods, including:

• Containment and face-velocity testing, evaluated using tracer-gas containment test methods consistent with ASHRAE 110, at three distinct conditions: As-Manufactured (AM, tested at the factory before shipment), As-Installed (AI, tested on site after installation but before use), and As-Used (AU, tested periodically once the hood is in service, reflecting real room airflow and equipment loading).
• Construction and materials — sash design and movement, work-surface and liner materials, baffle configuration, and airfoil/bypass design that affect containment.
• Labeling and documentation requirements so a hood’s tested performance can be verified after installation, not just assumed from the model number.

SEFA 8 is a voluntary industry consensus standard, not a federal regulation. It becomes binding in practice when an institution’s own purchasing specification, an accreditation body’s facility requirements, or a building/mechanical code adopted by the local jurisdiction requires it by reference. OSHA’s laboratory standard (29 CFR 1910.1450) and ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 address fume hood use and ventilation more broadly from a worker-safety standpoint; SEFA 8 is the construction/performance-testing document manufacturers and buyers point to for the hood itself.

What are SEFA standards more broadly?

SEFA publishes a series of numbered Recommended Practices covering laboratory furniture and equipment beyond fume hoods — work surfaces, casework construction, installation practices, laboratory emergency equipment (eyewash/shower stations), and chemical storage furniture are among the areas the broader SEFA library addresses. Procurement teams evaluating laboratory casework, not just fume hoods, will typically encounter several of these Recommended Practices cited together in a single facility specification. SEFA 8 is the one most frequently cited on its own because fume hood containment performance is safety-critical and independently testable.

Why it matters for procurement

For a lab manager, facilities planner, or procurement officer evaluating fume hoods, SEFA 8 gives you a documented, testable basis for comparing vendors instead of relying on marketing claims:

• Ask for test data, not just a rating. A cut sheet stating an exhaust volume in cubic feet per minute (CFM) does not by itself demonstrate SEFA 8 compliance. Ask the vendor for the As-Manufactured (AM) tracer-gas test report, and specify that As-Installed (AI) testing be performed and documented after your facility’s ductwork and room airflow are in place — AM results alone do not guarantee AI performance in your specific room.
• Write the requirement into the RFP/spec, not just the acceptance checklist. Specification language such as “fume hood shall be tested and documented per SEFA 8 recommended practice at AM, AI, and AU conditions using ASHRAE 110 tracer-gas methodology” is verifiable in a way that “SEFA-compliant” alone is not.
• Budget for AU (As-Used) retesting. SEFA 8 performance is a function of the whole room — supply/exhaust balance, sash position, foot traffic near the hood face — not just the hood unit. Periodic As-Used retesting after occupancy is part of maintaining documented compliance, and should be planned as a recurring facilities cost, not a one-time installation checkbox.

Worked examples

Example 1 — RFP language: A university facilities office issuing a fume hood RFP requires bidders to submit AM tracer-gas containment test reports referencing SEFA 8/ASHRAE 110 methodology with their proposal, and to include AI testing and documentation as a contract deliverable before the hood is accepted for use.

Example 2 — Acceptance verification: A lab manager receiving a newly installed hood withholds final sign-off until the installer provides an As-Installed containment test report, rather than accepting the manufacturer’s factory (AM) test report as sufficient proof the hood performs correctly in the finished room.

Counter-example

A vendor cut sheet that lists only a nominal face velocity (e.g., “100 fpm design”) and an exhaust CFM rating, with no tracer-gas containment test report at any of the AM/AI/AU conditions, does not constitute documented SEFA 8 compliance — a nominal design velocity is a design target, not a tested performance result.

Frequently asked questions

Is SEFA 8 the same as OSHA fume hood requirements?

No. OSHA’s Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories standard (29 CFR 1910.1450) requires adequate ventilation and hazard controls but does not itself specify fume hood construction or containment test methodology. SEFA 8 is the industry document manufacturers and buyers use to specify and verify hood performance; it is frequently referenced alongside ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 laboratory ventilation guidance in an institution’s own EHS or facilities specifications.

Is SEFA 8 compliance mandatory?

Not by default. SEFA Recommended Practices are voluntary consensus standards. They become a binding requirement only when written into an institution’s procurement specification, an accreditation program’s facility criteria, or a local building/mechanical code that references them.

Who tests fume hoods for SEFA 8 compliance?

Manufacturers typically perform As-Manufactured (AM) testing before shipment. As-Installed (AI) and As-Used (AU) testing are usually performed on site by the installer, an independent environmental health and safety (EHS) contractor, or the institution’s own EHS/facilities team, since these conditions depend on the finished room’s airflow, not just the hood unit.

Related terms

• Single Audit (US) — unrelated “SEFA” abbreviation (Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards) used in federal grants compliance.