What Information is required in a Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) assessment report?
To comply with Regulation 9 of the COSHH Regulations 2004, a thorough examination and test of LEV must be carried out at least every 14 months [Local Exhaust Ventilation plant - dust / fume extraction].
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Approved Code of Practice requires that the report contains at least the following information:
Name & Address of the employer responsible for the plant
Identification of the LEV plant
Location of the LEV plant
Identification of the Process
Identification of the hazardous substance concerned
Date of the last thorough examination and test
Conditions at time of test, whether normal production or special conditions
Intended operating performance of the LEV for adequately controlling the hazardous substance for the purpose of Regulation 7
If there is no data available for the intended operating performance a further assessment is needed to show compliance with Regulation 7
Whether the LEV achieves the designed performance
If not, the adjustments or repairs required to achieve that performance
Methods used to make the judgements
Date of thorough examination and test
Name of person carrying out the examination and test
Job Title of person carrying out the examination and test
Employer of person carrying out the examination and test
Signature of, or other acceptable means of identifying the person carrying out the examination and test
Details of repairs carried out
The details should be completed by the employers responsible for the LEV plant
The effectiveness of the repairs should be proved by a re-test
Location or position of enclosures/hoods
Maximum number of hoods/enclosures to be in use at any one time
Static pressure behind each hood or extraction point
Face velocity at each hood or extraction point
Ducting dimensions
Ducting transport velocity
Ducting volume flow
Filter/Collector – Specification
Filter/Collector – Volume flow
Filter/Collector – Static pressure at inlet
Filter/Collector – Static pressure at outlet
Filter/Collector – Static pressure across filter
Fan – Specification
Fan – Volume flow
Fan – Static pressure at inlet
Fan – Direction of rotation
Does the system return exhaust air to the workplace
If exhaust air returned to workshop – Filter efficiency
If exhaust air returned to workshop – Concentration of contaminant in returned air
Results of Examination and test compared with Assessment carried out under Regulation 6
Results of Examination and test compared with the requirements of Regulation 7
Section for Employer responsible for the LEV plant to complete with details of repair
Section for Employer responsible for the LEV plant to complete with effectiveness of repair proved by re-test
Test undertaking by a competent person. The test engineer must have adequate knowledge, training and expertise in examination methods and techniques. He must also be competent in the assessment of LEV repair requirements to be able to identify the repairs required.
HSG54 states that Sketch of Plant Layout is also required.
