Local Exhaust Ventilation

Local Exhaust Ventilation - LEV

What is it?

LEV Systems - are ventilation systems designed specifically to take dusts, mists, gases, vapours and fumes out of the air before they can reach the operators breathing zone. A correctly designed LEV system will:

Collect the contaminated air
Take the collected air away from people
Clean the air, if needed, and get rid of the contamination safely

What Makes up an LEV System?

Hoods - to capture airborne contaminants locally at the source of fume, dust etc...

Ducting - to carry airborne contamination, to exhaust and disburse, or to the filter system to clean satisfactorily.

Filter system / air cleaner - to filter out the contamination and exhaust the clean air.

Discharge / exhaust - safe release of air into atmosphere.

Why Should I Bother with LEV? Every year, people in Great Britain are dying of lung disease, or getting asthma due to contamination they are breathing in, some of the worst cases come following:

Organic dust in the food industry
Paint mist and solvents from paint spraying and mixing
Fumes from welding / soldering
Carbon monoxide from furnaces

If this is not reason enough, you also have a legal obligation to protect your employees, under current COSHH regulations you have to employ the hierarchy of control, of which LEV is an integral part.

What is the Right Kind of LEV? EHLUK have spend time and money to make sure the training given to our engineers - to design and installed LEV systems - is firstly the right training and secondly will conform to current legislation, all systems are designed to P601, P602 standard, along with strong business partners and over Forty years of experience we are well placed to make user the right unbiased equipment selection is maintained.

How do EHLUK know it's right? Following any installation a user manual with the general specification of the LEV system, including: a description of the system with diagrams, what it was designed to control, an initial thorough examination and test serviceable parts, and a schedule of future maintenance and tests required.

LEV Testing & Maintenance Many employees buy local exhaust ventilation to protect their employees but it doesn't work, this may be because; it's not properly installed, used, specified or maintained. EHLUK offer LEV testing, servicing and planned preventative maintenance. This is a worthwhile investment as it minimizes the potential down time often incurred when equipment is not maintained properly. Legislation from the HSE also requires LEV equipment to be tested at regular intervals (i.e. every 14 months max between tests, depending on usage and a full risk assessment of the process being carried out). The HSE recommends that all testing of LEV systems be in accordance with guidance P601.

For more information contact us on 0871 976 9620 or email info@ehluk.co.uk