What is Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)?

Every year, thousands of people in UK & Ireland die of lung disease or get asthma because of airborne contaminants they have breathed in at work. 

In preventing exposure to harmful substances in the workplace, there is a hierarchy of control measures to be considered, starting with the elimination of or substitution of the hazard – where this isn’t possible, the hazard must be controlled by engineering means e.g local exhaust ventilation (LEV). 

LEV is used to carry away any harmful airborne contaminants found in the work environment. It is compulsory for businesses to adhere to COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) requirements. COSHH highlight that the exposure of employees to substances hazardous to health be either prevented or, where that is not reasonably practical, be adequately controlled. 

If your workplace produces dust (e.g. flour dust in bakeries), mist (e.g. paint mist from spraying), fume (e.g. from welding), gas (e.g. carbon monoxide from furnaces or vehicles) or vapour (e.g. solvents from painting), there may be a risk to the health of your employees. 

LEV takes dust, mist, gas, vapour or fumes out of the air so that they can’t be breathed in. Properly designed LEV will: 

• Collect the air that contains the contaminants (close to source) 
• Make sure they are contained and taken away from people 
• Clean the air (if necessary) and remove contaminants safely

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