WH Scott
LEV Testing & Thorough Examination (COSHH)
Statutory LEV testing and thorough examination to COSHH Regulation 9 and HSG258 — carried out by competent examiners across the UK and Ireland, with every certificate delivered to your online compliance portal.
What Is LEV Testing?
Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) is any engineered extraction system that captures dust, fume, mist, vapour or gas at source, before it reaches the operator’s breathing zone. LEV testing — correctly called thorough examination and testing, or TExT — is the statutory check that confirms the system is still doing that job.
Under Regulation 9 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), every employer relying on LEV to control exposure must have it thoroughly examined and tested by a competent person at least every 14 months (UK – not a fixed period in Irish legislation). This is not a visual walk-round. A thorough examination measures actual performance and compares it against the system’s original commissioning data and the benchmarks set out in HSG258, Controlling Airborne Contaminants at Work.
That distinction matters, because failing LEV rarely announces itself. A slipping fan belt, a partially blocked branch or a filter past its useful life will let a system keep running and sounding perfectly healthy while capture velocity quietly drops below the level needed to protect the person standing in front of it. Measurement is the only way to see it.
WH Scott has been carrying out engineering examinations since 1897, and the group now completes more than 400,000 statutory examinations a year across the UK and Ireland. Our examiners test fume cupboards, spray booths, welding fume extraction, wood and general dust systems and multi-leg installations — and because we work in both jurisdictions from 14 depots, multi-site clients run one LEV programme, with one point of contact and one reporting portal, whether the asset sits in Southampton or Cork.
What Our LEV Thorough Examination & Test Includes
- Thorough examination and testing (TExT) to COSHH Regulation 9 and HSG258
- Review of commissioning data, LEV logbook and previous examination reports
- Visual and structural examination of hoods, ducting, dampers, fans and enclosures
- Airflow, face velocity, capture velocity and transport velocity measurement
- Static pressure and pressure-drop readings at defined test points
- Filter condition, loading and filtration efficiency assessment
- Functional checks of alarms, airflow indicators, interlocks and control systems
- Qualitative capture testing using smoke and dust lamp (Tyndall beam) techniques
- Clearance-time testing for spray booths and enclosed installations
- Assessment of control effectiveness against the process as it is actually operated
- Review of operator position, technique and interaction with the hood
- Defects identified and graded by urgency, with clear remedial recommendations
- Fume cupboard testing to BS EN 14175, and BS 7989 for recirculatory units
- Digital report, LEV certificate and asset record issued to the CoreRFID portal
LEV Systems We Test
We examine fixed installations and portable units across industrial, laboratory and controlled environments:
- Paint, powder and coating spray booths — open-fronted and enclosed
- Welding, soldering and cutting fume extraction — fixed arms and portable units
- Wood dust, sanding and woodworking extraction systems
- Metalworking fluid mist and oil mist extraction
- Multi-leg and multi-branch extraction systems
- Dust collectors, cyclones, wet scrubbers and filtration units
- Downdraught benches, partial enclosures and capture hoods
- Firing range and ballistic testing ventilation
- General dust, vapour, mist and gas extraction
Sectors we test in
- Manufacturing and engineering
- Pharmaceutical, laboratory and life sciences
- Automotive and vehicle refinishing
- Food and beverage production
- Construction, joinery and fabrication
- Healthcare, education and public sector
How an LEV Test Works
- Pre-Examination Survey & Document Review — We identify every LEV system in scope, record each one against your asset register, and review the commissioning report, LEV logbook, previous TExT reports and the COSHH risk assessment the system was installed to satisfy. Where no commissioning data exists — common on older installations — we establish a benchmark set of readings to test future performance against.
- Visual & Structural Examination — A systematic examination of hoods, ducting, dampers, flexible hose, fans, drives, filters, discharge points and enclosures, confirming the system is in efficient working order, good repair and a clean condition, as Regulation 9 requires.
- Technical Performance Testing — Calibrated measurement of airflow, face and capture velocity, transport velocity and static pressure at defined test points, compared against commissioning figures and HSG258 benchmark performance.
- Control Effectiveness Assessment — Qualitative testing using smoke, dust lamp and clearance-time methods with the process running as it normally does, so the report reflects how the LEV performs in real use rather than under ideal conditions. Operator position and technique are assessed alongside the hardware.
- Reporting, Certification & Remedials — A digital report and LEV certificate detailing test results, compliance status and any defects graded by urgency, issued to the CoreRFID portal. Where remedial work is required, our own engineers can quote and carry it out, then retest to confirm the system is back in specification.
Standards and frameworks we work to
- COSHH 2002 — Regulation 9 and Schedule 4 (Great Britain)
- COSHH (Northern Ireland) 2003 — Regulation 9, enforced by HSENI
- Republic of Ireland — Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Chemical Agents Regulations (S.I. 619 of 2001), working to the HSA’s Local Exhaust Ventilation guidance
- HSG258 — Controlling Airborne Contaminants at Work (HSE)
- BOHS P601 — Thorough Examination and Testing of LEV Systems
- BS EN 14175 — ducted fume cupboards; BS 7989 for recirculatory units
- ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001 certified; LEEA member company; SafeContractor approved
Related Services
PUWER Inspection & Compliance Services
PUWER inspection services ensure work equipment complies with the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Regular examinations verify that machinery and equipment are safe for continued use, supporting legal compliance and workforce safety across industrial environments.
Pressure Systems Inspection (PSSR)
Written scheme examinations of pressure vessels, steam plant and associated pipework under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 — frequently found alongside extraction plant in the same process areas.
Statutory Inspections
Scheduled and reactive statutory examinations across every plant category on site, built into a single combined programme with grouped visits and one set of renewal dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is LEV testing?
LEV testing, formally called thorough examination and testing (TExT), is a statutory examination of a local exhaust ventilation system by a competent person. It combines a structural examination of the system with calibrated measurement of its performance, and an assessment of whether it still controls exposure effectively in real operating conditions. The outcome is a formal report and certificate.
Is LEV testing a legal requirement?
Yes. Regulation 9 of COSHH 2002 requires employers to ensure that LEV used to control exposure to hazardous substances is thoroughly examined and tested by a competent person at defined intervals. The equivalent duty applies in Northern Ireland under COSHH (Northern Ireland) 2003, and in the Republic of Ireland under the Chemical Agents Regulations and HSA guidance.
How often should LEV systems be tested?
At least every 14 months for most systems. COSHH Schedule 4 sets shorter intervals of one month or six months for certain named processes, including blasting incidental to the cleaning of metal castings, jute cloth manufacture, dry grinding of metal articles and processes producing non-ferrous metal castings. More frequent examination may also be appropriate where risk assessment, contaminant type or duty cycle indicates it. Fourteen months is a maximum, not a default.
Who is qualified to carry out LEV testing?
A competent person — someone with sufficient training, knowledge and experience to make an objective assessment of the system. In practice this normally means BOHS P601 certification or equivalent recognised competence, together with correctly calibrated instrumentation.
What is included in an LEV test report?
The report records the systems examined, the test points used, the airflow and pressure readings taken, comparison against commissioning or benchmark data, the results of qualitative capture testing, an assessment of control effectiveness, and any defects graded by urgency with recommended remedial action. It states clearly whether the system is performing as required. Ours are issued digitally through the CoreRFID portal alongside the full asset history.
How long do LEV test records need to be kept?
At least five years. The record should also include details of any repairs carried out as a result of the examination. Keeping the records is the employer’s duty, not the examiner’s — which is why our reports are stored in a portal you control access to, rather than emailed once and forgotten.
What happens if an LEV system fails its examination?
The examiner records the defect, grades it by urgency and advises you immediately where the system is not adequately controlling exposure. You will receive clear remedial recommendations. Because WH Scott also carries out engineering and maintenance work, most remedial actions can be quoted and completed by our own engineers and then retested, rather than passed to a third party.
Get in Touch
Tell Us About Your Project
Whether you need a single piece of equipment or a fully engineered lifting system, our specialists can help. Tell us your load, environment and compliance requirements — we’ll do the rest.