LEV Thorough Examination and Testing can be relatively straightforward when an organisation operates a small number of extraction systems, such as a joinery workshop or vehicle body repair shop.
Delivering the same standard of examination consistently across a large, complex industrial site with an extensive LEV asset base is a very different challenge.
Armstrong Environmental supports a major UK nuclear submarine manufacturer in Barrow-in-Furness, providing specialist LEV testing and occupational hygiene services within one of the country’s most complex marine engineering environments.
Working at this scale requires more than taking airflow measurements and issuing reports. It requires competent LEV Specialists, careful planning, consistent testing methods, quality assurance and an understanding of the processes and hazardous substances the LEV systems are there to control.
It is about exposure control
The purpose of LEV is ultimately to protect people from exposure to substances hazardous to health.
Our approach considers the complete control system — the process, contaminant, operator, hood, ductwork, filtration, fan and discharge — rather than looking at individual measurements in isolation.
Where appropriate, LEV testing can also be supported by workplace air monitoring and exposure assessment to provide further evidence of control effectiveness
Building the capability to deliver
Large LEV testing programmes cannot depend on one individual.
Armstrong Environmental has invested in developing a team of competent LEV Specialists, supported by structured training, mentoring and technical oversight.
This allows us to combine the specialist technical knowledge expected from an occupational hygiene consultancy with the capacity and consistency required to support substantial, ongoing LEV testing programmes.
Our ongoing work within this highly complex engineering environment demonstrates that capability in practice.
Whether we’re examining an individual LEV system or supporting a major LEV testing programme, the principle remains the same:
Understand the hazard. Understand the process. Test the control. Determine whether people are being adequately protected.
