Services : COSHH - LEV Testing & Maintenance

Click here to download a PDF of our LEV flier to see if you are doing enough (361kb)

Are you aware that your company has a legal responsibility to protect not only its employees but the environment as well?

We offer performance testing and inspection of LEV (local exhaust ventilation) or dust and fume extraction systems for regulation 9 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations 2002 (COSHH).

What is an LEV?
It is a system that:

• Uses extract ventilation to prevent or reduce the level of airborne hazardous substance from being breathed by people in the workplace;
• Draws pollutants away from a process or operation that is likely to release a hazardous substance into the workroom air; and
• Consists of an inlet such as a hood, slot, booth or cabinet placed around or close to the point of release of the substance. This device is connected via ducting to the inlet of a fan or air mover. The extracted air is usually discharged to the atmosphere or returned elsewhere in the workplace, having first been cleaned to make it safe for release.

Your responsibilities
Every employer who provides engineering equipment to control substances hazardous to health has a legal requirement to examine and test this equipment in order to comply with Regulation 9.

The employer must ensure that LEV equipment is maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. A thorough examination should be carried out at least once every 14 months and in some cases far more frequently.

It is also the duty of the employer to keep a suitable record of the examination for a period of at least 5 years. This record should also include details of repairs carried out as a result of the examination and test.

General maintenance, service and testing
Impact Air Systems will carry out a thorough examination in line with COSHH regulation 9 as detailed in HSE Guide HSG258 "Controlling airborne contaminants at work - a guide to LEV".

Our levels of service vary according to your requirements and each visit can be tailored to your individual needs. Some companies choose to take advantage of our multi-skilled engineers by combining the servicing of the Waste Extraction System with the LEV testing. This proves to be very cost effective and also gives you peace of mind knowing that your complete system is being tested and maintained by the UK's market leader in Waste Handling & Dust Extraction Systems. Please be aware that due to time constraints the "dual service" is not available on some larger systems.

In depth sampling
If you require a more in depth LEV test to include Personal Air Sampling (PAS) and/or Background Air Quality Sampling (BAQS) then this is easily arranged and can either be carried out as part of the LEV testing or as a stand alone service.

COSHH regulations in brief
Regulation 7 requires that the exposure of employees to substances hazardous to health be either prevented or, where that is not reasonably practical, adequately controlled.

Regulation 8 There is a duty on the employee to use LEV provided and to report any defects observed.

Regulation 9 requires that any control measure taken to comply with Regulation 7 must be maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. For further details see www.hse.gov.uk.

Why Impact?
As the leading supplier of Waste Extraction Systems in the UK we have always sought to be "Number One". We believe that we have held this position for some time and we are very proud of our client database and our excellent working relationship with these clients, many of whom are multi-national blue chip organisations. Nevertheless we do not believe in resting on our laurels and are therefore always looking to expand the level and scope of services that we can offer to you. In view of our market position and product we deemed it as a natural progression to position ourselves to work to COSHH regulations and offer LEV testing and maintenance. Through dedication and hard work by all members of staff within the Technical Services Division we have now positioned ourselves firmly in the desired sector. As always we do not believe in rushing things so rather than jumping in feet first we have undertaken many months of research, consultation, on-site and workshop training. This coupled with major investment in instrumentation has catapulted us to the forefront of LEV testing and maintenance.

"Impact Air Systems Ltd always goes one step further and that's what makes us Number One".