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Armstrong Environmental provides independent Local Exhaust Ventilation testing for organisations throughout Yorkshire and the Humber.
Our regional work is concentrated particularly around Hull and the East Riding, with coverage extending across West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire.
We support individual workshops and laboratories as well as complex production sites and substantial LEV estates where consistent testing and clear technical reporting are essential.
LEV is intended to capture hazardous dust, fume, mist or vapour at or close to the point where it is generated, before it spreads into the workplace.
Performance can deteriorate through damage, blockage, wear, changes to the process or incorrect use. A thorough examination and test, commonly called an LEV TExT, assesses whether the complete system remains effective in practice.
Regulation 9 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations requires employers to maintain control measures in an efficient state, in efficient working order, in good repair and in a clean condition.
The COSHH Approved Code of Practice and guidance, known as COSHH L5, supports these duties. HSE guidance HSG258 explains the principles for commissioning, examining, testing and managing Local Exhaust Ventilation.
Most LEV systems require thorough examination and testing at least once every 14 months. Some specified processes require shorter intervals, and higher-risk controls may justify more frequent checks.
A competent examination considers the process, the way the operator uses the control and the complete system, including its hood or enclosure, ductwork, air cleaner, fan and discharge.
Depending on the system, testing may include visual examination, smoke visualisation, airflow and pressure measurements and comparison with commissioning data or another suitable performance benchmark.
The resulting report should explain whether control remains effective, identify defects and their significance, and give the duty holder clear, prioritised actions rather than a collection of readings alone.
Hull and the wider region combine major food and ingredients manufacturing with chemicals, resins, specialist coatings, fabrication, engineering and automated production.
These activities can generate flour and food dust, welding fume, metalworking mist, process dust, vapours and substances capable of causing occupational asthma or other ill health.
Armstrong Environmental has experience supporting organisations across:
We understand the need to assess the control of substances in the context of the real process, while coordinating work around production, hygiene, access and operational requirements.
Organisations with LEV systems spread across production lines, workshops, laboratories, buildings or sites need more than a series of unrelated annual visits.
Armstrong Environmental can plan and deliver coordinated testing programmes while maintaining a consistent technical standard for every individual examination.
Our approach can include asset verification, planned testing schedules, consistent reporting, prioritisation of significant defects and identification of recurring issues across the estate.
LEV Tracker® can give duty holders clearer oversight of their systems, reports, examination dates and outstanding actions, supporting continuous management of COSHH controls.
Engineering measurements show how an LEV system is performing, but they do not always establish what a person may inhale during a representative task or working shift.
This can be important for food and powder handling, welding, chemical processes and other work involving variable emissions, operator interaction or substances with significant health effects.
Armstrong Environmental can design workplace exposure assessments using personal exposure monitoring, static air sampling and task observations to investigate the exposure and the effectiveness of existing controls.
Results can be considered against relevant Workplace Exposure Limits in EH40 or suitable substance-specific exposure criteria. Compliance with a limit alone does not replace the wider COSHH duty to prevent or adequately control exposure.
Our wider capability also includes testing of fume cupboards and validation of biological safety cabinets against BS EN 12469 for healthcare, research and laboratory environments.
Clients choose Armstrong Environmental because we provide:
Our LEV testing is led by BOHS-registered LEV Specialists listed on the BOHS Register of Occupational Hygiene Professionals, which is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
