LEV Log Books – Free Templates and Checklists
Practical Resources to Help Duty Holders Manage Their LEV Systems
LEVCentral Expert Commentary
Every Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) system should have its own LEV Log Book.
An LEV Log Book provides the central record of how an LEV system has been designed, commissioned, maintained, checked and thoroughly examined throughout its working life. It forms one of the most important pieces of documentary evidence demonstrating that an employer is actively managing their LEV system in accordance with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations.
Unfortunately, many LEV systems either have no log book at all or contain only limited maintenance records. In reality, producing a competent log book is neither difficult nor expensive.
HSE’s guidance HSG258 – Controlling Airborne Contaminants at Work contains an excellent checklist (Appendix 2, page 80) describing the information that should normally be included within an LEV Log Book. Using that guidance as a starting point, several organisations have produced practical templates that employers can adapt for their own systems.
LEVCentral is grateful to eLEV8ed Ltd and Airducts Designs Ltd for kindly allowing their resources to be shared with the wider LEV community.
Free LEV Log Book Resources
1. LEV Log Book Checklist
A straightforward checklist based upon the recommendations contained within HSG258, summarising the information that should normally be included within every LEV Log Book.
This provides an excellent starting point for employers creating their own documentation.
Kindly provided by eLEV8ed Ltd.
2. Excel LEV Log Book Template
A simple Microsoft Excel template providing the basic structure for recording the essential information associated with an LEV system.
The spreadsheet can be adapted to suit individual workplaces and provides a useful starting point for organisations developing their own LEV management documentation.
Kindly provided by eLEV8ed Ltd.
3. Weekly LEV Inspection Log Book
An example inspection log designed to help employers record the routine user checks recommended by HSG258.
This particular example has been developed for mechanical shaker dust collection systems, although the overall format provides useful ideas that can easily be adapted for many other types of LEV installation.
Kindly provided by Airducts Designs Ltd.
What Should an LEV Log Book Contain?
Although every installation is different, HSG258 recommends that an LEV Log Book should normally include information such as:
- System identification and location.
- Description of the process being controlled.
- Hazardous substances controlled by the system.
- Commissioning information.
- Commissioning report.
- Design performance criteria.
- Hood drawings or photographs.
- User instructions.
- Routine operator checks.
- Planned maintenance records.
- Filter replacement records.
- Repairs and modifications.
- Thorough Examination and Test reports.
- Records of defects identified.
- Records of corrective actions.
- Contact details for competent service providers.
Together, these records provide the evidence that the LEV system continues to perform as intended throughout its operational life.
Source Information
Primary Source: HSG258 – Controlling Airborne Contaminants at Work
Additional Resources: eLEV8ed Ltd and Airducts Designs Ltd (shared with permission)
Resource Type: Templates, Checklists and Example Log Books
Primary Topics: LEV Management, LEV Log Books, User Checks, Maintenance, Commissioning, Thorough Examination and Testing
Audience: Duty Holders, LEV Owners, Facilities Managers, Health & Safety Professionals, LEV Engineers, Occupational Hygienists and Maintenance Personnel.
LEVCentral Perspective
One of the most common weaknesses identified during LEV audits is poor documentation rather than poor engineering.
An employer may have invested in a well-designed LEV installation, but if there is no record of commissioning, maintenance, user checks or statutory Thorough Examination and Testing, it becomes difficult to demonstrate that the system has been effectively managed throughout its life.
A well-maintained Log Book provides that evidence.
It also has considerable practical value. Engineers carrying out maintenance or Thorough Examination and Testing can quickly review previous reports, identify recurring defects and compare current performance with the original commissioning data. This greatly improves the efficiency and quality of ongoing LEV management.
Further Resources
- HSG258 – Controlling Airborne Contaminants at Work
- INDG408 – Clearing the Air – A Simple Guide to Buying and Using LEV
- Filtermist – Sample Logbook
Recommended Learning
- M505 Control of Hazardous Substances
- P600 Methods for Testing Performance of LEV
- P601 LEV Thorough Examination & Testing
- P602 LEV Basic Design Principles
- P604 LEV Commissioning & Performance Evaluation
Thought Leadership
An LEV system is not managed simply because it exists.
Effective management is demonstrated through evidence—evidence that the system was correctly commissioned, evidence that users carry out routine checks, evidence that maintenance has been completed, evidence that defects have been corrected and evidence that statutory Thorough Examination and Testing continues to confirm satisfactory performance.
The LEV Log Book is where all of that evidence comes together.
From a LEVCentral perspective, a properly maintained Log Book is far more than an administrative requirement. It is the documentary thread that links commissioning, routine management and statutory examination into a single, defensible record of control.
Without it, employers may struggle to demonstrate that they have exercised effective ongoing management of one of their most important engineering controls.
