Abstract
 

SEFA is an association related to laboratory construction. SEFA recommended and issued a variety of methods or standards, including countertops, fume hoods and other laboratory equipment and furniture.

SEFA has no certification for a certain product, and there is no so-called testing laboratory certified by SEFA.

The testing laboratory designated by SEFA mainly helps members who want to join SEFA to test whether their products meet the recommended methods or standards of SEFA.

In China, the certification systems of inspection and testing laboratories are mainly CMA and CNAS.

Generally, third-party testing laboratories can apply to join testing laboratories accredited by SEFA. But China can't do it yet, because SEFA and SGS signed a five-year exclusive agreement in 2017.

 

Foreword

In the laboratory industry, you often hear several popular questions about the performance of chemical fume hoods:

1. Can your product pass the SEFA standard?

2. Can my fume hood be certified as SEFA?

3. Can my countertop be certified by SEFA?

4. Is your testing laboratory SEFA accredited?

And so on about SEFA certification or standards. Today, this article will explain in detail what the testing laboratory accredited by SEFA is and what its function is.

 

01 What is SEFA?

 

SEFA is the abbreviation of The Scientific Equipment and Furniture Association. SEFA to meet the needs of laboratory designers and laboratory furniture manufacturers. The Scientific Equipment and Furniture Association, founded in 1988, is an international trade association, which consists of manufacturers of laboratory furniture, cabinets and fume hoods, and members of design and installation majors. The association was established to promote this rapidly developing industry and improve the quality, safety and timeliness of laboratory facilities according to customer requirements.

SEFA has not certified a certain product or certified the business of the testing laboratory. SEFA is an association, not a third-party certification body.

Companies mainly engaged in this industry can become members of SEFA. SEFA members work closely with laboratory owners, architects, contractors and others to achieve the goal of creating a safe "laboratory-level" environment.

The association consists of professional managers, an elected board of directors and an advisory committee.

SEFA members jointly establish, monitor and modify the recommended practices in the fields of fume hoods, laboratory countertops, furniture installation, cabinets and fixtures as required. Other areas of common interest are also being explored.

At present, the recommended standards established and published by SEFA are as follows:
 

SEFA 1- laboratory fume hood;

SEFA 2- installation;

SEFA 3- laboratory working surface;

SEFA 4- glossary;

SEFA 5- range;

SEFA 7- laboratory and hospital fixtures;

SEFA-8M-laboratory table top-metal;

SEFA-8PH-laboratory table top-phenolic aldehyde;

SEFA-8PL-laboratory table top-plastic laminate;

SEFA-8P-laboratory table top-polypropylene;

SEFA-8W-laboratory table top-wood;

SEFA 9- ductless fume hood;

SEFA 10- modifiable countertop system;

SEFA 11- storage of liquid chemicals.

 

02  SEFA Approved Test Lab

So what is the testing laboratory designated by SEFA? First, let's take a look at SEFA's explanation of the testing laboratory designated by SEFA.

This is SEFA official website's explanation about the testing laboratory designated by SEFA [1]:
 

These testing laboratories are independent third-party laboratories designated by SEFA, and these laboratories have proved to have the necessary ability to test the recommended standards of SEFA. Any company that wants to test whether their products meet the standards recommended by SEFA can go to the laboratory designated by SEFA for testing.

In addition, in the SEFA Charter-Part 3 Members [2], the role of the testing laboratory designated by SEFA is also described:

 

Companies applying for membership in SEFA Executive Member are required to submit a report issued by the testing laboratory designated by SEFA to prove that the products produced meet the standards recommended by SEFA.

According to the above official explanation of SEFA, the testing laboratory designated by SEFA is actually to help SEFA members or provide third-party tests that meet the recommended standards of SEFA when applying for membership of SEFA.

 

03 Role of testing laboratory designated by SEFA

SEFA has great influence in the laboratory construction industry. The quality control of members is an important step of SEFA's powerful influence. Many manufacturers want to show their influence and participate in internationalization by joining SEFA members.

For SEFA, how to control the quality of SEFA members becomes a challenge. In November, 2015, SEFA members unanimously voted for the amendment of SEFA charter [3], which requires all executive members to submit the certification test report of the testing laboratory designated by SEFA before May 6, 2017, so as to show that they manufacture at least one laboratory-level product that meets the recommended specifications of SEFA.

The testing laboratory designated by SEFA has become an important step to control the quality of SEFA members. SEFA itself does not have the business or ability to certify product quality, but the articles of association of SEFA put forward a good method, that is, through a third-party company with corresponding testing ability, before joining SEFA members, applicants need to provide at least one product test report of the testing laboratory designated by SEFA.

It is worth mentioning that the testing laboratory designated by SEFA is not a laboratory certified by SEFA. SEFA is not a certification body. In China, the certification systems of testing laboratories are mainly CMA and CNAS.

 

04 How do third-party testing laboratories join SEFA accredited testing laboratories?

As for how to apply for testing laboratories accredited by SEFA, there is no relevant application process in SEFA official website and SEFA charter. That is to say, there are no strict regulations and procedures about SEFA accredited testing laboratories.

Logically, then, for the time being, we think that if the third-party testing laboratory has the ability to test the recommended standards of SEFA, it can apply to become an accredited testing laboratory of SEFA.

The author tried to apply to join the testing laboratory accredited by SEFA, and submitted CMA, CNAS and ASHRAE 110 and EN 14175 certification qualifications to SEFA. The reply from SEFA is that third-party companies in China can't join temporarily, because SEFA and SGS have signed a five-year exclusive agreement in 2017.


Reference:
 

[1] Description of SEFA designated laboratory: https://www.sefalabs.com/sefa-approved-test-labs-1
[2] SEFA Articles of Association: https://www.sefalabs.com/by-laws
[3] SEFA amendment: https://www.sefalabs.com/index.php? option=com_content&view=article&id=47:member-product-testing&catid=20:site-content&Itemid=119