LEV Good Practice Guides
Practical Guidance Developed by LEVCentral
The LEV Good Practice Guides series has been developed by LEVCentral to provide practical guidance on the design, commissioning, testing and management of Local Exhaust Ventilation systems.
This series has been developed to help duty holders understand the role of commissioning within the LEV lifecycle and to provide practical guidance on obtaining meaningful assurance that newly installed LEV systems are capable of delivering effective control.
Unlike formal standards and guidance documents, these papers are intended to share practical experience, lessons learned and good practice developed from real-world LEV applications.
The series complements HSE, BOHS and CIBSE guidance and is intended for designers, commissioners, testers, duty holders and anyone responsible for ensuring LEV systems perform effectively.
Duty Holder Commissioning Series
Defensible LEV Commissioning
Explains how duty holders can ensure that newly installed LEV systems are commissioned in a manner that is technically robust, properly documented and capable of withstanding future scrutiny.
The paper examines the evidence that should be obtained at handover, the information required to demonstrate that design objectives have been achieved, and how effective commissioning supports ongoing compliance with COSHH Regulation 9.
It provides practical guidance for anyone responsible for procuring, accepting or managing LEV systems and highlights the importance of commissioning as a critical link between system design, installation and long-term operational performance.
[Download Guide (PDF)]
Commissioning vs TExT
Many duty holders assume that commissioning and Thorough Examination & Testing (TExT) are interchangeable activities.
In reality, they serve very different purposes within the LEV lifecycle.
This guide explains the distinction between commissioning and statutory examination, clarifying what each process is intended to achieve, when it should be undertaken and the information that should be generated.
It explores how commissioning establishes the initial performance benchmark for an LEV system, while TExT provides ongoing verification that the system continues to operate effectively.
The paper also highlights the risks that can arise when commissioning information is unavailable or when TExT is incorrectly relied upon to compensate for inadequate commissioning.
[Download Guide (PDF)]
Duty Holder’s Guide to LEV Assurance
This guide has been developed to help duty holders understand what ‘good’ looks like when procuring, accepting and managing Local Exhaust Ventilation systems.
Bringing together the principles of design verification, commissioning, performance benchmarking, maintenance and Thorough Examination & Testing, it provides a practical roadmap for achieving defensible LEV assurance.
The guide is intended to help organisations move beyond simple compliance and develop confidence that their LEV systems are capable of delivering reliable and effective control of airborne contaminants throughout their working life.
[Download Guide (PDF)]
Future Good Practice Guides
LEVCentral intends to expand this series to cover additional topics including:
- LEV Design Intent
- System Performance Verification
- Benchmark Setting
- Airflow Measurement
- Hood Performance Assessment
- Fan Selection and Verification
- Practical Commissioning Techniques
