Achieve HSE compliance with our expert LEV (Local Exhaust Ventilation) testing services. Our nationwide team of qualified engineers is ready to carry out comprehensive assessments, ensuring your systems are functioning effectively and are compliant with health and safety regulations.
LEV Testing is the process of thoroughly inspecting and evaluating a local exhaust ventilation system against the commissioning report’s performance, industry standards, and HSE guidelines. It includes airflow and pressure measurements, as well as checks on the effectiveness of contamination exposure control. All equipment, including hoods, filters and ducts, is also subject to additional inspections.
According to the HSE, 12,000 lung disease deaths each year are estimated to be linked to past exposures at work. This has led to increasingly stringent guidelines and statutory requirements for Local Exhaust Ventilation.
HSE published the third edition of HSG258 ‘Controlling airborne contaminants at work: A guide to local exhaust ventilation (LEV)’ in 2017. This guide provides guidance on the design of new local exhaust ventilation (LEV) equipment. It describes the principles of deciding on, designing, commissioning and testing effective LEV.
Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems capture, contain and treat air contaminated with oil mist, fume, smoke and dust at source before it has an opportunity to escape into the wider working environment. LEV systems include a hood (or multiple hoods), ducting, a filter, a fan and a discharge mechanism.
LEV systems must be tested at least once every 14 months by a competent person.
Regular LEV testing by a competent person is a legal requirement of COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations.
This applies to all oil mist, welding fume, smoke and dust extraction units that you currently have on site. This examination must be undertaken by a competent person and the tests and reports must conform to HSE standards. HSG258 provides the recommended procedures to achieve these statutory requirements.
Filtermist will LEV test, check and quantify a system's performance with these testing methods.
Only the above tests specific to the system being tested will then quantify the system's performance and control the exposure of the harmful contaminate from the personnel to a level as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).
Filtermist LEV Test Reports are comprised of five sections:
Supplementary to these sections is a one page system appraisal, workshop schematics, detailed measurement data and a full breakdown of the equipment used in the examination of the workplace.
This report can be used to form part of a company's insurance requirement and copies should be kept for a period of five years.
LEV equipment for air flow monitoring and record keeping systems as specified in HSG258 can be supplied as part of Filtermist’s service and can also be purchased directly from Filtermist. Contact us to order.
Our P601, P602, and P604 qualified engineers perform COSHH compliant LEV testing for systems that control contaminants such as oil mist, dust and fume. We provide reports in digital format which make them simple to file and retrieve whenever needed.
The results are compared with the requirements specified in the original system design and our expert analysis, based on 50 years’ experience in the manufacture and design of LEV systems, allows us to provide practical advice and recommendations.
Filtermist LEV reports include photos and/or schematic diagrams showing the Test Points, which are also clearly identified on the ducting, as required by the HSE. Follow this link for more details on our comprehensive LEV Test Reports.
Further information on COSHH and Local Exhaust Ventilation can be found on the HSE website:
Free HSE leaflets:
Books:
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations state this is a legal requirement, however testing frequency varies depending on the application – some applications require testing as often as once a month. Full details can be found on page 85 of HSG258 ‘Controlling airborne contaminants at work A guide to local exhaust ventilation (LEV)’.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has extensive powers – it can prosecute companies if they fail to comply with improvement orders which can result in hefty fines. From a responsible employer’s point of view, it is common sense. The financial outlay of regular testing is minimal when compared to the fines that can be incurred through a HSE prosecution.
Employers have a legal responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 as follows:
(1) It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of an employer’s duty under the preceding subsection, the matters to which that duty extends include in particular—
(a) the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health;
Filtermist engineers have visited lots of premises where an extraction system has been installed and effectively ‘that box has been ticked’, but there is no routine maintenance or testing in place to ensure it is performing as intended. This indicates there is still a lack of awareness regarding ongoing obligations under COSHH. The HSE sends out regular LEV ebulletins which contain a variety of information on LEV and COSHH compliance. Follow this link to sign up: www.hse.gov.uk
In Filtermist’s experience, it is fairly evenly split between the requirement to comply with HSE regulations and complaints from employees. They start coughing and spluttering because they are breathing in contaminated air and it soon becomes apparent what the cause is.
Regular airflow readings can identify any problems with the system’s performance. Blocked or saturated filters, or damaged ducting can impact on the extraction capability - meaning the system is less able to cope with the volume of air which needs cleaning. The test records the current reading as well as results from previous tests, or the original design requirement. The inspector can cross reference all of the data to ensure the system is operating as intended.
Operator interference is one of the main issues Filtermist engineers encounter. Employees may switch off an extraction system to reduce noise levels, not realising the important role it has in protecting them from exposure to harmful contaminants. Filter condition is also a significant factor which is why it is important to undertake regular servicing – that way any issues with the filter can be identified before they start affecting the system’s performance.
From the outside LEV Testing looks like quite a simple task, but if the person undertaking the test has a significant amount of industry experience they can sometimes spot other things which may be raised should the HSE pay you a visit. For example, whilst not strictly part of the LEV test, the ATEX directive states that explosion relief panels should be used in processes that generate highly explosive aluminium dust. Companies may think that by installing an LEV system they are adhering to COSHH regulations, but there are a number of other factors which should also be considered to ensure a clean and safe working environment.
The HSE’s November 2020 LEV ebulletin focusses on this issue:
Competency is ‘….the combination of training, skills, experience and knowledge that a person has, and their ability to apply them to perform a task safely. Other factors, such as attitude and physical ability, can also affect someone’s competence.’
All of Filtermist’s LEV and Service Engineers have successfully undertaken the BOHS (British Occupational Hygiene Association) P600 qualification ‘Methods for Testing the Performance of Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems’, and all LEV Engineers have completed P601 ‘Thorough Examination and Testing of Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems’. A number of our team also hold P602 ‘Basic Design Principles of Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems’ and P604 ‘Performance Evaluation, Commissioning and Management of Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems’ qualifications.
In addition to professional qualifications, Filtermist’s engineers have extensive industry experience – some of our colleagues have been employed in this field for more than 20 years.
The reports that Filtermist issues are legal documents which consist of the following:
NB: It’s important to remember that if HSE asks for a copy of the report, you must supply the whole document – not just the sheet with the test results as it won’t mean anything without the rest of the report.
The length of time it takes to carry out an LEV Test varies depending on factors including the accessibility of the system, and the type of installation it is. The first visit is always the longest as the Filtermist engineer will complete a risk assessment form, take photos of the systems that need testing and record all of the other details needed for the report. If nothing has changed in terms of the system set-up, the time it takes to carry out subsequent tests dramatically decreases.
No, LEV Testing does not normally interrupt production as most installations use extraction hoods. Filtermist engineers work around customers’ needs and we can schedule a weekend or evening service if there are any reasons why the testing can’t be carried out in normal working hours.
In Filtermist’s experience, cost can be a reason why people delay regular testing – some smaller companies think it’s an unnecessary cost which they can get away with not paying. However, when you look at the cost per employee it’s a relatively small price to pay to protect workers and stay within the law. For example, for a company with 20 LEV systems and 60 employees, LEV testing through Filtermist works out at just over £12.50 per employee, per year - just £1.04 per person, per month.
No. Filtermist’s dedicated LEV Engineers provide COSHH compliant testing for all makes and models of LEV equipment used to remove oil mist, dust, fume, smoke and VOCs from workplace air. All LEV systems operate in the same fundamental way and the equipment we use is suitable for all types of LEV system.
Regular LEV Testing is crucial for two reasons:
Filtermist provides oil mist collectors in over 60 countries worldwide