As acronyms go, it’s not one which automatically leaps off the screen, admittedly. But that’s not to say that LEV (or to afford it its full title, Local Exhaust Ventilation) isn’t equally as important as TMV, LD, COPD, HSE or indeed, WHO. Especially not when learning just what LEV means and moreover the very real, health-compromising implications of NOT being fully aware of what local exhaust ventilation is. While we’ve previously flagged up the potential health costs associated with not being legionella control savvy on numerous occasions, to this point we haven’t spent that much time discussing other wellbeing-threatening elements away from bacterial examples. Until now that is, and this timely low-down on explaining just what local exhaust ventilation is and critically, how its facilitated existence (and long term ramifications) can guard you against the risk of serious health issues.

Did you know that annually thousands of UK workers contract various significant health conditions, colloquially termed ‘occupational lung diseases?’ These can range from occupational asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) through to Asbestosis and Mesothelioma. Many people live with such lifestyle-restricting afflictions (although ensuing disability status often curtails work opportunities after receiving certain diagnosis’), while many others die as a direct result of fighting these conditions; each and every year. The predominant reason they develop such diseases aforementioned is down to individuals being routinely exposed to a myriad of airborne contaminants thanks to their employment and its acknowledged employee remits; with inhalation of a plethora of dusts and fumes being the root cause. Crucially, many fall victim to these diseases simply because the control measures in place fall way short of accepted practice and procedure, according to the HSE.

A large number of industries and sectors are affected, with particular danger areas being recognised in woodworking (the cutting, shaping and sanding processes being key here), welding, paint-spraying, stonemasonry, engineering and foundry work environments. Examining the core components a little closer, and it emerges that traditional (and omnipresent) methodologies and ways of working contribute to employee’s susceptibility to the inhalation of airborne contaminants which subsequently lead to a cornucopia of respiratory diseases amongst others. These typically include vocations which necessitate paint spraying, abrasive blasting, rock/concrete crushing, slate making, milling, turning, sanding, grinding and polishing various materials.

So, How Does Local Exhaust Ventilation Play its Part in This Scenario, as a Way in Which to Safeguard Employee Health?

Ventilation can pave the way for employers to effectively control exposure to gas, vapour, dust, fume and mist in workplace air, by way of systematically extracting the clouds of contaminant before people are exposed to/inhale them. Courtesy of the pre-planned principles of design, installation, commissioning, testing and examination of proportionate ‘ventilation controls’, businesses and organisations can act to protect the health of the general public simply by taking the necessary action and providing the infrastructure to guard against a range of possible diseases taking hold from the outset. Getting down to the nitty gritty, it is best described as being an engineering control system designed and implemented to reduce exposures to airborne contaminants such as dust, mist, fumes, fibres, vapour and/or gas in a workplace. Simply put, it’s the installed means by which an airborne contaminant can, literally be sucked out of a workplace surround.

What Does a Typical LEV Look Like?

With regards to physical appearances, most - but not all - hardware benefit from either a hood (this is where the contaminant cloud enters the LEV), ducting (this conducts air and the contaminant from the hood to the discharge point), air cleaner/arrestor (this filters/cleans the extracted air), air mover (the ‘engine’ that powers the extraction system, usually a fan which serves to displace the contaminate) and discharge element (this releases the extracted air to a safe place, and usually takes the form of an exhaust stack).  

Do I Need Local Exhaust Ventilation Assemblage?

A very good question and the actual starting point in reality. It’s imperative that you ask yourself that (in the capacity of an employer or business/service provider whereby the public are present and active) whether or not airborne contaminants are a work risk you must deal with; and if so, learn how to manage said risk. If they are, you need to eliminate the risk so far as is reasonably practicable, or at the very least ensure that you minimise the risk; once again so far as is perceived to be reasonably practicable. It’s essential that consideration is given to identifying precisely which work processes create dusts, vapours and fumes, along with determining what substances are released into the air, and what are the risks posed from this? Elsewhere it’s vitally important to understand just how concentrated these defined contaminants are when released into the air and pinpointing exactly where – in the process – the contamination is located (inside, outside or in a confined space). Bear in mind that further control measures need to be adopted by law for those working in confined spaces. But most important of all it’s hugely important to discover just who is exposed to the hazard and for how long.

Why is it My Responsibility as an Employer/Service Provider to Follow LEV Protocol and Best Practice?

If and when an employer is uncertain as to whether a substance poses a potential risk to human health or not (or put another way, unsure as to the hazardous nature of a particular substance – or any of its by-products – within a workplace), then it’s up to the employer/organisation to ascertain if the workplace exceeds the prescribed exposure standard. This is achieved by conducting exposure monitoring in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016. What’s more, according to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, it’s a legal requirement for any employer to maintain working conditions for employees. Any employer that uses local exhaust ventilation techniques in the workplace must have equipment examined and tested at least once every 14 months to ensure it is working both effectively and safely.

Is There Anything Else Worth Knowing?

Yes. It’s always prudent for businesses and organisations who believe that its work processes might give rise to employees being exposed to airborne contaminants to address the following areas as a first port of call, so to speak. But of course, only if and where applicable, depending on the sector/nature of the business.

• Eliminate the source
• Reduce the size of the source
• Substitute the material being used by something safer
• Modify the process (to reduce the frequency or duration of emission)
• Reduce the number of employees involved with a process
• Apply simple controls to fully/partly enclose the process (i.e., fitting lids to equipment)