If your business generates dust, fumes, vapours, mist or gases, you have a legal duty to control exposure. Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems are often central to that control, but installing them is not enough. UK law requires regular thorough examination and testing to ensure they remain effective and compliant.
At DevineAir, we support UK businesses with LEV testing, design and consultancy to ensure systems meet current Health & Safety and COSHH requirements. In this guide, we explain what the law requires, how often testing must be carried out, and what enforcement authorities expect from you.
Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems are designed to capture airborne contaminants at source before they enter the workplace atmosphere. They are commonly used in:
If your processes release substances hazardous to health, you are legally required to control exposure under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH).
Under COSHH, you must prevent exposure where reasonably practicable. Where that is not possible, you must adequately control it. LEV systems are often central to meeting this requirement.
Regulation 9 of COSHH requires employers to ensure that control measures are:
For most LEV systems, this means a Thorough Examination and Test (TExT) at least every 14 months, unless a shorter interval is specified in your risk assessment.
In Great Britain, enforcement is carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE provides detailed technical guidance in HSG258, Controlling airborne contaminants.
Failure to meet the 14-month requirement can lead to enforcement action.
LEV testing is more than a quick check to see if the system switches on. It’s a detailed assessment to make sure your ventilation is actually doing the job it was designed to do.
A proper, compliant examination will usually include:
The aim is simple: to confirm that your LEV system is still effectively controlling exposure in line with your COSHH risk assessment.
If the system is no longer performing as it should, the issues must be addressed. Recording poor results without putting corrective action in place does not meet your legal duties. Compliance depends not just on testing, but on fixing what needs fixing.
COSHH makes it clear that LEV testing must be carried out by a competent person. In simple terms, that means someone who genuinely understands how these systems work and how to assess whether they are protecting your workforce properly.
Competence usually includes:
It’s important to remember that the responsibility ultimately sits with you as the employer. Appointing a contractor does not transfer that duty. If the system is tested by someone who is not suitably qualified or experienced and enforcement action follows, saying you didn’t realise they lacked competence will not be a defence.
You are legally required to keep records of LEV examinations and tests for at least five years.
Your records should include:
These records demonstrate due diligence and must be available for inspection.
While 14 months is the general standard, some circumstances require shorter intervals.
Examples include:
If your processes change or new substances are introduced, you must review your COSHH assessment and determine whether your LEV testing interval remains appropriate.
In practice, enforcement action often arises from:
Another frequent issue is assuming airflow readings alone confirm effectiveness. Adequate control depends on capture efficiency at source, not just overall air volume.
LEV compliance requires both technical accuracy and effective management oversight.
The Health and Safety Executive regularly takes action against businesses where poor ventilation has put employees at risk. When LEV systems fail and people are exposed to harmful substances, enforcement is not uncommon.
The consequences can be serious and may include:
But the impact goes beyond fines and formal notices. Ineffective LEV systems can contribute to occupational illnesses, higher sickness absence, lower productivity and long-term legal liability.
LEV compliance should not be treated as a box-ticking exercise. It is a fundamental part of protecting your people and managing business risk responsibly.
LEV testing is one component of workplace environmental compliance. Depending on your operations, you may also need:
An integrated approach ensures your control measures function effectively together and align with broader Health & Safety legislation.
DevineAir provides LEV testing, design, consultancy and maintenance across the UK and Ireland. Our consultants hold P601, P602, P603, P604, and W201 qualifications and provide tailored compliance services to businesses. In addition to LEV, we deliver air, noise, cleanroom, vibration, and light assessments, along with expert COSHH advice to help you meet your regulatory obligations.
If you are unsure whether your LEV systems meet current COSHH requirements, or if your 14-month testing deadline is approaching, now is the time to act.
DevineAir provides qualified LEV Thorough Examination and Testing, system design, maintenance support and expert COSHH advice across the UK and Ireland. Our certified consultants in P601, P602, P603, P604, and W201 deliver technically robust assessments and clear compliance reporting tailored to your business.
Contact DevineAir today to arrange your LEV testing or to discuss your wider environmental compliance requirements, including air quality, noise, cleanroom, vibration and light assessments.
Ensure your systems are compliant. Protect your workforce. Protect your business.
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