Have you ever wondered what does LEV stand for? Don’t worry, you’re not the first! We’re here to educate you on what it is when it should be used and how you go about getting it installed.

So, what does the acronym stand for?

  • L – Local
  • E – Exhaust
  • V – Ventilation

 

What Is Local Exhaust Ventilation?

Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) is an engineering control where airborne contaminants, such as dust, fumes, vapours, gases and mists are removed at source from the workplace. There are many benefits to providing Local exhaust ventilation, other than the fact its a legal requirement, including:

  • Cleaner air in the workplace
  • Happier and healthier employees from long-term exposure
  • More professional to external stakeholders
  • Reduced risk of negligence claims
  • Reduce the risk of HSE non-compliance.

 

When Should Local Exhaust Ventilation Be Used?

Welding Fume Extraction
Welding Fume Extraction

LEV systems should be used to control indoor air pollution levels. Processes such as welding, grinding and engine exhaust fumes (containing carbon monoxide) all contain harmful constituents, which, if inhaled over a long period of time can cause long-term health conditions, such as occupational asthma, heart disease and even cancer.

 

Prevention is Key

Prevention is Key
Prevention is Key

Employees have little control over the quality of the air they breathe in whilst at their workplace, yet, every employee is owed a duty of care by their employer.

ACAS (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) state: “Employers have a duty of care to all employees. All steps that are reasonably possible to ensure their health, safety and well-being should be taken. If an employer hasn’t done everything that they reasonably can to protect employees, and have since developed an illness or injury as a result of their exposure, they may be able to make a claim.”

Poor air quality can damage a worker’s long and short-term health, whilst also impacting their productivity and ability to work. Here are some common health implications caused by exposure to fumes and dust whilst at work.

By complying with HSE’s guidance, you can safeguard your business from potential liability claims and HSE Fee For Intervention fines.

 

Local Exhaust Ventilation Design

Local Exhaust Ventilation Design
Local Exhaust Ventilation Design

A LEV is designed from four main parts, the capture hood, filtration (if required), the air mover and the discharge. We typically recommend capturing airborne particles at-source, before they have the chance to dissipate into the broader working environment and into workers’ breathing zones. This is the most efficient method of achieving a safe, pollution-free workplace.

  1. Capture Hood – This is where the contaminants are captured and enter the LEV system. Hoods are available in various forms subject to the business’s operations and requirements.
  2. Filtration – The air cleaner process filters tangible airborne contaminants from extracted air and collects them for safe disposal, however, air filtration isn’t required for all working processes.
  3. Air Mover – Our expertise lies in planning and installing at-source LEV extraction solutions. Our free LEV system design service can also be specified by our in-house Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and drawing team.
  4. Discharge – Once through the LEV system, the extracted air is released back into the atmosphere at a safe place, this is usually through a vertical chimney stack outside the building.

 

Local Exhaust Ventilation Examples

With such a wide variety of different working processes and contaminants, there’s no one size that fits all. At Auto Extract Systems, we have a number of different solutions and our P602 LEV system design engineers can help specify and design a comprehensive LEV system that’s tailored to your exact requirements. As part of our Installation Service, we supply and install the highest quality LEV equipment we’ve come across on the market today; that’s why we’re confident in offering a 12-month installations warranty with our installations.

Some of our most common solutions include:

 

Extraction Arms

Welding Extraction Arms
Welding Extraction Arms

Extraction arms offer a wide range of industrial process applications, such as brazing, welding and soldering, for fume and dust extraction and can be used in a variety of working environments, for example, the chemical industry and metal and fabrication industry.

Exhaust Hose Reels

Exhaust Fume: Bus Operator Depot
Exhaust Fume: Bus Operator Depot

Exhaust hose reels are a very diverse product for the motor vehicle repair industry as they can be retrofitted in virtually any garage setup. They provide a convenient vehicle exhaust fume solution when working with stationary vehicles. 

Direct Connections

Direct Connections - Image 9
Direct Connections

Direct connections are used to collect dust or oil from directly from a processing machine. These can be in form of a hose connection to built-in spigots on the machines themselves or via bespoke guards and hoods that are fabricated to suit each machine so that the dust is captured.

 

Local Exhaust Ventilation Testing

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 Mock Up
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 Mock Up

According to the HSE’s Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (2002) Regulations, LEV systems are required to be examined and tested once in a 14-month period. Find out more about LEV Testing.

 

Request your FREE LEV Site Assessment Today!

We’ll call to arrange a convenient time and date to visit your site. We’ll analyse your working processes, assess the substances used and the contaminants generated. We’ll work out how best to control the dust and fume in a way that’s in line with your COSHH risk assessment. Next, we’ll design you a comprehensive LEV system that adheres to HSG258 guidance and send this you to via email.

We’ll do all this to ensure we fully understand your dust and fume extraction requirements and help you to provide a pollution-free workplace!

This is an amazing service we do for thousands of businesses throughout the UK and Ireland every year. We work with such a wide variety of industries, from manufacturing, industrial, woodworking, pharmaceutical and automotive workshops to schools, colleges and military establishments.

Request your FREE, no-obligation LEV site assessment today!

REQUEST YOUR FREE ASSESSMENT

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