LEV Testing - LEV Extraction Testing | Plant Inspection Services

Plant Inspection Services provide independent LEV testing services on a wide range of extraction systems. We work with you to ensure inspections are carried out with minimal disruption while ensuring you and your employees are protected.

We only provide LEV testing, not servicing or maintenance. This means our engineers provide a fresh pair of eyes and act impartially. We don’t profit from any recommendations that we make, they are always made with only safety in mind.

What is Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)?

Local Exhaust Ventilation systems take dust, mists, gases, vapour or fumes out of the air so that they can’t be breathed in. A typical LEV system will have:

Hood(s) to collect airborne contaminants at, or near, where they are created (the source).
Ducts to carry the airborne contaminants away from the area.
An air cleaner or filter to remove the contaminant and clean the extracted air.
A fan to move the air around the system, which must be the right size and type to deliver sufficient air flow to the hood.
An exhaust for the safe release of cleaned, extracted air into the atmosphere or back into the workplace.

Examples of LEV systems include:

Welding fume extraction
Shot blasting cabinets
Paint spray booths and powder coating lines
Wood dust extraction systems
Ozone extraction systems for printing processes

What are the regulations?

Local Exhaust Ventilation systems are covered under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). Additional guidance is provided in HSG258: Controlling airborne contaminants at work: A guide to Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV).

What are the consequences of not testing?

LEV testing is a legal requirement and a vital part of remaining compliant with health and safety regulations by ensuring that the systems are still operating correctly and employee exposure to dust and fumes is minimised. Without regular testing and maintenance procedures, you risk harming the health of your workers and could face large fines. It is important to record when your next test is due in order to protect the health of your workers and minimise the risk of occupational disease as a result of harmful levels of airborne contaminants.

What is LEV Testing / Thorough Examination?

LEV testing is a detailed and systematic examination, also known as a Thorough Examination. The test examines the system to determine wether it is performing in line with its original design criteria, and suitably controlling the contaminant. Recommendations will be made on how to improve the system to ensure exposure levels are kept to an absolute minimum.

As LEV testing requires specialist equipment, it is vital that you work with an experienced company and competent person who can suggest repairs, produce a test report and comply with industry health and safety standards.

Who can carry out a Thorough Examination of an LEV?

Your Thorough Examination and Test must be carried out by a competent person with the sufficient knowledge and experience to ensure your system is operating correctly and controlling the contaminant. Those who supply, examine and maintain LEV must have the right mix of experience, knowledge and skills to make this assessment.

Our exhaust ventilation specialists are P601 (BOHS) qualified and affiliated with the Institute of Local Exhaust Ventilation Engineers.

What are the requirements for LEV testing?

For most systems, a Thorough Examination is required under COSHH at least once every 14 months. There are some exceptions to this, such as:

Processes in which blasting is carried out in or incidental to the cleaning of metal castings in connection with their manufacture, which should be examined monthly.
Processes, other than wet processes, in which metal articles (other than gold, platinum or iridium) are ground, abraded or polished using mechanical power in any room for more than 12 hours a week. These should be examined every six months.
Processes giving off dust or fumes in which non-ferrous metal castings are produced. Again, these should be examined every six months.

Depending on the process and the substance to be controlled, more frequent examinations may be recommended for systems deemed to present a high risk.

Our team provides thorough examinations by BOHS-trained personnel (P601), which conform to the latest Health Safety Executive Guidance (HSG258) and highlight:

Contaminant control failings
Maintenance issues
Damage to systems
Practical advice on improvements

Our aim will always be to give practical and cost-effective advice and guidance to customers to complement their COSHH assessments.

We believe that those carrying out LEV should be independent. We do not supply, install or maintain systems, which eliminates any possible conflict of interest.

Additional resources:

About Plant Inspection Services

We are an independent, family-run company keeping businesses compliant and safe across the north of England. We don’t profit from any recommendations that we make – they are always made with only safety in mind. We offer:

Personable service with a business-by-business approach
Hassle-free and reliable examinations
Cost-effective services
Highly experienced and knowledgeable staff

FAQs

What is the purpose of a Thorough Examination of an LEV (Local Exhaust Ventilation) System

It is a check that your LEV is still working as effectively as originally intended and is helping to protect your employees’ health. To be able to tell if it is still working as it should, you should be able to provide the examiner with information about the intended or designed performance of your system e.g. hood type and position relative to the process, airflow and other measurements. If this information is not available, you will need to seek competent advice.

What Information does the examiner need?

To assess if the LEV is still working properly, the examiner ideally needs to know what it was originally intended to do. When you obtained the LEV equipment, the supplier should have conducted an LEV test on installation (or ‘commissioned’ it) to check it was working effectively and providing the necessary protection, as specified. Where this information is not available the examiner may be able to help you identify intended performance information.

How do I choose a supplier to design and/or install an LEV system?

The HSE has produced a guide to help you with this, Clearing The Air – A simple guide to buying and using local exhaust ventilation (LEV).

You should ask any potential supplier to prove that they are competent, for example through previous work and professional qualifications. Only buy LEV that will adequately control exposure and ask the supplier how they will prove this.

The supplier of an LEV system should provide you with some key documentation:

A user manual with a general specification of what the LEV system is designed to control and how it achieves that control.
A logbook for the system.
A commissioning report.

This documentation is essential for maintaining your system and ensuring that the system continues to perform as intended.

LEV Extraction Testing