L
E
V

Local
E
V

Local
Exhaust
V

Local
Exhaust
Ventilation

Local
Exhaust
Ventilation

Local Exhaust Ventilation
stack
hood
ducting
air cleaner fan

Estimates by HSE 2006
A. 2,240,000 UK businesses

Estimates by HSE 2006
A. 2,240,000 UK businesses
B. Number with
respiratory risk, needing
LEV = 450,000 (20% of
total UK businesses (A))

Estimates by HSE 2006
A. 2,240,000 UK businesses
B. Number with
respiratory risk, needing
LEV = 450,000 (20% of
total UK businesses (A))
C. Number with LEV =
260,000-330,000 (60-73%
of B)

Estimates by HSE 2006
A. 2,240,000 UK businesses
B. Number with
respiratory risk, needing
LEV = 450,000 (20% of
total UK businesses (A)) How many of these
are designed
C. Number with LEV =
260,000-330,000 (60-73% properly?
of B)

Estimates by HSE 2006
A. 2,240,000 UK businesses
B. Number with
respiratory risk, needing
LEV = 450,000 (20% of
total UK businesses (A)) And how many are
maintained
C. Number with LEV =
260,000-330,000 (60-73% properly ?
of B)

Estimates by HSE 2006
A. 2,240,000 UK businesses
B. Number with
respiratory risk, needing
LEV = 450,000 (20% of
total UK businesses (A))
C. Number with LEV =
260,000-330,000 (60-73%
of B)
D. Number with
tested LEV
systems =
110,000-130,000
(32-49% of C.)

Estimates by HSE 2006
A. 2,240,000 UK businesses
B. Number with
respiratory risk, needing
LEV = 450,000 (20% of
total UK businesses (A))
How many of these
C. Number with LEV = tests are adequate?
260,000-330,000 (60-73%
of B)
D. Number with
tested LEV
systems =
110,000-130,000
(32-49% of C.)

Common problems
with LEV systems

Inappropriate
design

Installation
of inappropriate
“off the shelf”
systems

Poor
design

Unrealistic
expectations

Inadequate
maintenance

Inadequate
testing

 Many systems are badly designed
 Unrealistic expectations of
capabilities of LEV
 Poor standard of maintenance
and testing

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg258.htm

Awareness
Specification
Design
Installation
Use

Awareness
Specification
Design
Installation
Use

Awareness • Recognise risk exists
Specification
Design
Installation
Use

Example
Welders exposed to fume
are at risk of contracting
pneumonia, asthma,
bronchitis, emphysema and
cancer

Awareness • Recognise risk exists
• Evaluate exposure
Specification
• Identify sources
Design
Installation
Use

Understand the risk and what
sources contribute to it

Identify all significant
sources of exposure

Here, dust
created
during
emptying of
powder
from sacks
has been
controlled
by installing
an LEV
system

But they’ve
forgotten
about the
dust
generated
during the
disposal of
the sacks

Sack emptying
with LEV
Sack disposal
no LEV
LEV for both
operations

Awareness • Recognise risk exists
• Evaluate exposure
Specification
• Identify sources
Design
• Consider process change
Installation
Use

Is there a better way
of doing the job that
will reduce exposure?

Awareness • Recognise risk exists
• Evaluate exposure
Specification
• Identify sources
Design
• Consider process change
Installation
• Prepare specification
Use

The employer needs to provide prospective
suppliers with the information they need to
design and build an effective LEV system

Awareness • Recognise risk exists
• Evaluate exposure
Specification
• Identify sources
Design
• Consider process change
Installation
• Prepare specification
Use

Awareness
Specification
Design
Installation
Use

All engineering
controls,
including LEV,
need to be
properly
designed

Awareness • Select potential suppliers
Specification
Design
Installation
Use

Awareness • Select potential suppliers
Specification • Suppliers prepare designs
a and quotations
Design
Installation
Use

Awareness • Select potential suppliers
Specification • Suppliers prepare designs
a and quotations
Design
• Supplier selected
Installation
Use

The employer and the supplier need to work
together to develop successful control solutions

Awareness • Select potential suppliers
Specification • Suppliers prepare designs
a and quotations
Design
• Supplier selected
Installation
• Prototype?
Use

Awareness
Specification
Design
Installation
Use

Awareness • Installation of system
Specification
Design
Installation
Use

Installation
 Install according to specification
 Initial check that the system is operating
correctly

Installation
 Needs to be done in a safe manner

Awareness • Installation of system
• Commissioning
Specification
Design
Installation
Use

Commissioning
1. Ensure the system meets the
design specification

Commissioning
2. Ensure the system achieves
adequate control

Commissioning
3. Obtain baseline data for
routine testing

Awareness • Installation of system
• Commissioning
Specification
• Handover
Design
Installation
Use

The supplier should provide a
User Manual and Log Book

Awareness
Specification
Design
Installation
Use

Awareness • Train users
Specification
Design
Installation
Use

Awareness • Train users
• Supervision
Specification
Design
Installation
Use

It’s the employer’s duty to ensure that
the system is properly used

Employees should use the system
properly and report any defects

Awareness • Train users
• Supervision
Specification
• Maintenance and testing
Design
Installation
Use

Maintenance and Testing
 Routine checks and tests
 Planned maintenance
 Through examination
and test (TExT)

Awareness • Train users
• Supervision
Specification
• Maintenance and testing
Design
• TExT
Installation
Use

HSE Guidance for TExT
Visual examination
Measure and evaluate
technical performance
Assessment of control

Awareness
Specification
Design
Installation
Use

Can be downloaded from http://www.hse.gov.uk/lev/guidance.htm

Credits
This presentation contains public sector
information licensed under the Open
Government Licence v1.0

http://www.slideshare.net/mikeslater
mike@diamondenv.co.uk
http://diamondenv.wordpress.com
Twitter: @diamondenv
Mike Slater

Mike Slater, Diamond Environmental Ltd. (mike@diamondenv.co.uk)
This presentation is distributed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
UK:International Licence