Recently, one of our consultants was carrying out a survey in a foundry. They had installed this type of booth for their fettling operations. However, as can be seen in the following photograph, The booth was not being used in the way intended – the worker was carrying out the work outside the booth. The dust generated was not contained and, consequently, the extraction would not be as effective as it should be. The worker will have a higher exposure than if he carried out the fettling inside the booth.
What is LEV and why do I need it? Every year, thousands of workers in Britain develop occupational diseases from breathing in certain dusts, fumes or other airborne contaminants at work. Local Exhaust Ventilation, often called dust or fume extraction, can help clean the air, before people breathe in these harmful substances. (Excerpt from HSE web site).
LEV Testing is a legal requirement in the UK for compliance with health and safety standards. LEV Test reports often form part of a company’s insurance policy. Inadequate testing can result in employers being prosecuted, insurance policies being invalidated and even employees becoming ill.
All Companies and Employers using extraction equipment have legal requirements they must undertake. All equipment must be examined and tested in order to comply with Regulation 9 of the COSHH Regulations. The Employer must make sure that equipment is maintained and in efficient working order and of good repair. A thorough test should be undertaken once every 14 months and in some cases far more frequently. It is also a requirement of the employer to keep a suitable record of the test. All for a period of at least 5 years. This record should also include details of repairs carried out as a result of the test. See extra info on LEV Testing Companies.
Those individuals wishing to improve their LEV knowledge and skills should consider attending a suitable training course leading to qualifications such as those provided by the Institution of Local Exhaust Ventilation Engineers (ILEVE) or the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS). Dutyholders should provide information about the full extent of an airborne dust cloud, as this is rarely visible. In some cases, such as when all the particles are smaller than ‘inhalable’, it will be completely invisible. Tyndall illumination uses the forward scattering of light to show up the cloud. Alternatively, if smoke is released into the cloud this will show up its shape, size, speed and direction.