An educational library of workplace documents — purpose, who completes them, when they are used, typical fields, common mistakes and how they connect. Linked to workplace safety, workplace training, occupations, industries and employment documents. Informational only — template examples, not legal advice or official documents; employers remain responsible and using a document does not guarantee compliance.
What a LEV inspection record is
A local exhaust ventilation (LEV) inspection record documents the thorough examination and testing of an extraction system — hoods, ducting, filter and fan — to confirm it still controls the airborne contaminant it is meant to capture.
This page is an educational overview with a simplified example. It is not an official template and does not itself examine anything — LEV examination is a competent-person task at intervals set by the applicable law.
Purpose
- Confirm the LEV system still controls the contaminant effectively.
- Check hood capture, airflow, ducting, filter and discharge.
- Record findings and any action to restore performance.
- Support control of exposure to hazardous substances.
Who completes it
- A competent person nominated by the employer to examine and test LEV.
- Someone with the instruments and knowledge for the system.
- The employer arranges examination and acts on findings.
- User checks of indicators are a separate, lighter task.
When it is used
- At intervals set by the applicable law for thorough examination.
- After modification of the system or a change of process.
- When user checks or indicators suggest reduced performance.
- The employer is responsible for examinations happening on time.
Typical fields
- System identity, the process and contaminant it controls.
- Date of examination, the examiner and the next due date.
- Hood capture, airflow or pressure readings, ducting and filter condition.
- Comparison with the commissioning or benchmark performance.
- Defects, action required and whether control is adequate, with sign-off.
- Example fields only — adapt to the system and the process it serves.
Common mistakes
- Treating the test as a tick-box without checking actual control.
- No commissioning benchmark to compare later readings against.
- Letting examinations lapse past the required interval.
- Not acting when performance has clearly dropped.
Document workflow
The LEV record works with the relevant risk and exposure assessment, the commissioning data and the planned maintenance record. A system found not controlling exposure should trigger repair, re-testing and, where needed, a review of the safe system of work.
See the related documents below for what is commonly used with and completed after a LEV inspection record.
Retention (high level)
LEV examination records are typically kept for a period set by the applicable law and the employer, often several years. This page does not state a required period — confirm with the applicable law and the official authority.
Completing and sharing as a PDF
LEV records and reports are commonly stored as PDFs with the system’s history. Exporting to PDF supports the record; it does not make the examination official or guarantee compliance.
Employer checklist
- Arrange thorough examination and testing of LEV by a competent person.
- Keep commissioning benchmarks to compare against.
- Act promptly where control of exposure has dropped.
- Keep LEV, maintenance and exposure-assessment records together.
Worker notes
- Use the extraction as intended and report when it seems weak.
- Carry out any user checks the employer requires.
- Do not bypass or block hoods and ducting.
Country considerations
Requirements for examining LEV and controlling exposure, and the official authority, vary by country. This page is general and high-level — not a statement of any country’s law and not a guarantee of validity.
Confirm current requirements with the official authority for your country and a qualified professional.
Who is responsible
The employer is responsible for controlling exposure to hazardous substances and ensuring LEV is examined and maintained, and for compliance. This page is an educational overview with a template example; it does not constitute an examination and does not transfer responsibility.
Export, edit and share documents
The documents, policies and templates this involves can be exported, edited, signed, stored and shared as PDFs with the HELPERG PDF Editor.
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