LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION (LEV) TESTING
Employers who use extraction to control dust, fume, vapour or gas need LEV testing, a thorough examination and test of each system. The law requires it at least every 24 months. It covers welding extraction, spray booths, dust collectors, fume cupboards and on-tool extraction. The test shows, hood by hood, whether each system still captures the contaminant where it is released.
Qualitas Occupational Consulting is registered with the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) as an Approved Inspection Authority (AIA) for hazardous chemical agents and lead. That approval covers LEV examination and testing under regulation 12(b) of the Hazardous Chemical Agents (HCA) Regulations, 2021 and regulation 14(b) of the Lead Regulations, 2001. Our LEV survey can therefore serve as your 24-month statutory test.
WHY EXTRACTION SYSTEMS NEED TESTING
Extraction can keep running long after it has stopped protecting anyone. Hoods get damaged or moved away from the source. Ducts get dented, holed, blocked or disconnected, flexible hoses wear and filters load up. Air speed in the ducts can drop until dust settles instead of moving. Each fault can let contaminant escape into the breathing zone.
The result is higher exposure to dust, fume, vapour and gas, and a greater risk of occupational illness and respiratory disease. Poor extraction also weakens other controls and personal protective equipment, and contaminant build-up in the workplace adds to fire and explosion risk.
The HCA Regulations, 2021 and the Lead Regulations, 2001 both require LEV to be examined and tested at least every 24 months.
• Chemical agents: regulation 12(b) of the HCA Regulations requires an AIA to examine and test LEV, fume cupboards, spray booths and spray cabinets. Keep the test and repair records for at least 3 years (regulation 9(g)).
• Lead: regulation 14(b) of the Lead Regulations sets the same interval for LEV on lead processes. The test must be done by an AIA approved for these tests, or a person it verifies.
• Spray booths: regulation 4 of the General Safety Regulations also sets minimum air speeds for spraying flammable liquids.
A change in controls also means the HCA risk assessment must be reviewed immediately (regulation 5). Our free Compliance Gap Assessment shows which tests and assessments your workplace needs and which are overdue.
WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES FOR LEV
HOW WE EXAMINE AND TEST LEV SYSTEMS
Every LEV survey is led by Christo de Wet, an occupational hygienist with 15 years of experience. He is registered with the Southern African Institute for Occupational Hygiene (SAIOH), ROH 0953. Our AIA registration is OH0253 - CI 072, and LEV examination and testing is within the scope of our SANAS ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation (OH0253).
Before the visit, we ask for a list of your LEV systems, with design specifications and previous test reports if you have them.
On the day, each system runs under normal working conditions. We examine the condition of hoods, ducting, filters and fans, and measure airflow and capture velocity at each hood or extraction point. We also look at how each system is operated, including where operators position the hoods. Where useful, smoke tests and a dust lamp show how air moves at a hood and whether contaminant escapes. From this we judge, hood by hood, whether the contaminant is captured, comparing performance with the design and good practice.
After the visit, the report gives a pass or fail for each extraction point and lists the defects to repair. Where a test raises doubt about exposure, our hazardous chemical agents survey can measure what employees breathe.
- • An evaluation of each system's design, condition and operation
• Airflow and capture velocity for each hood or extraction point
• The places where contaminants may escape control
• A pass or fail for each extraction point, against the design and good practice
• The defects to repair, with practical improvements
• A report written for management, SHEQ teams and auditors that serves as your 24-month statutory test record
What affects the quote: the time on site and travel. Time on site depends on the size of the site and the number of work areas to cover. If you add exposure monitoring, each sample is priced as one item, including media and analysis. The quotation lists each service as its own line item.
WHAT YOUR LEV TEST REPORT INCLUDES
- How often must LEV be tested?
At least every 24 months. Regulation 12(b) of the HCA Regulations, 2021 covers LEV, fume cupboards, spray booths and spray cabinets. Regulation 14(b) of the Lead Regulations, 2001 sets the same interval for lead processes. Have a system examined again if it has been extended, altered or moved since its last test.
Who may test our LEV?
For chemical agents, only an AIA. For lead processes, an AIA approved for these tests, or a person it verifies. Our AIA approval covers both, so our report can serve as your 24-month statutory test. Check any provider's approval on DEL's list of approved inspection authorities.
What must we prepare for the test?
A list of LEV systems, design specifications or commissioning data if you have them, and previous test reports. Each system should be running normally on the day, with operators doing their usual work.
What happens if a system fails?
Repair the defects, have the affected hoods retested and record the repairs. The duty to control exposure continues meanwhile, so respiratory protection may be needed, and the risk assessment must be reviewed. After major repairs, air monitoring by an AIA can confirm that exposure is under control again.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Free online tool: Compliance Gap Assessment. See what is due at your workplace
Occupational hygiene for automotive plants, spray booths and workshops
Occupational hygiene for manufacturing, engineering and foundries
Occupational hygiene for hospitals, clinics and laboratories
LEV testing: what the 24-month examination checks
What must a chemical risk assessment cover under the HCA Regulations?
Welding fume monitoring: what is measured and why
What do the Regulations for Hazardous Chemical Agents, 2021 require?
FREE TOOL AND ARTICLES
REQUEST A QUOTE
Send us a list of your extraction systems and your site location for a quotation. We are based in Pretoria, work in all nine provinces and quote travel upfront.
