Failure to Sustain Proper LEV Systems to Guard Workers Can Be Expensive

If workers are likely to be showing to substances that could damage their health owners must abide by the UK's COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations, which state that appropriate abstraction systems must be installed and frequently verified and maintained.

Among the events that could either use or produce harmful substances are welding, wood working, controlling chemicals in laboratories and the forms of substances that can cause problems range from dusts, such as sawdust, chemicals, fumes and gases, biological agents or fine mists.

Dependent on its variety of activity a business will install Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems (LEVs), which typically will include an removal hood, filter system, fans and ducting to take the substance away.

This may sound expensive but the consequences of failing to pay adequate attention to COSHH requirements can also be costly as this case study from the Health and Safety Executive illustrates.

A worker at a large company in Gloucestershire developed severe asthma after regularly inhaling rosin-based solder. A court found that the company had failed to install fume extraction equipment to remove fumes from the air or to substitute a rosin free solder and the company was fined £100,000 plus £30,000 costs.

Plainly an employer wants to be sure that any LEV equipment installed is both cost effective and working correctly to extract fumes properly. The regulations state that the equipment must be maintained in efficient working order so it continues to provide the necessary protection.

LEV testing must be carried out at least every 14 months, although most companies have the systems tested annually and the records of LEV testing must be kept for at least five years.

Also the company must keep information on the installed LEV system to confirm it provides adequate protection, for the lifetime of the equipment. This information is likely to include the intended or designed performance of your system such as hood type and position relative to the process, airflow and other measurements.

It will provide the person carrying out the tests with the basic data they need to ensure that the LEV system is performing to its specification and is adequate for the job it is intended to do.

Carrying out a thorough examination and test of LEV equipment needs specialist skills and most businesses engage someone with specialist knowledge, experience and skills. A good guide to their competence is whether they have undergone P601 training provided by the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

The training covers a basic understanding of the principles of the design of ventilation systems and the differences in performance between general and local exhaust systems.

After training an examiner should be able to carry out the correct measurements to check the system's effectiveness and identify when air sampling is required to determine adequate control.

If an existing system has not been commissioned properly they will also be able to carry out appropriate measurements to assess the effectiveness of such a system and document the results.

A specialist commercial cleaning service that offers testing as well as being able to advise on maintenance frequency as well as cleaning and to demonstrate a high level of its staff's COSHH and LEV training will ensure an employer is both complying with the law and that the equipment is running at maximum efficiency to keep workers safe and costs down