Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) – what is it?
Local exhaust ventilation LEV ventilation is an extracted ventilation system that removes airborne pollutants from the workspace air so that they can’t be inhaled, including dust, mists, gases, vapor, and fumes. A properly constructed LEV will: gather the contaminated air, ensure that it is confined and removed from people, clean the air as needed, and safely remove the contaminants.
A good exhaust ventilation system to purchase
The employer must choose a supplier who is qualified to define, develop, and install an appropriate LEV system.
In order to facilitate this, employers may want to:
- Ask prospective providers to visit the site to observe the procedures and request more than one tender.
- Provide a model of the region and the procedures to be regulated.
- Inquire about their professional background, associations, and ability to provide case studies and references.
- Examine offers and prices in light of HSG258 from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
- At Work: Managing Airborne Contaminants
It is essential for the employer to create a specification for the supplier in order to guarantee that the LEV system is developed correctly.
As a starting point, an employer should include the following in the LEV specification:
- the process (the manner in which airborne contaminants are produced, such as cutting, shaping, and sanding in the case of woodworking),
- the contaminants (the airborne material that is being attempted to be captured, such as dust, mist, fume, vapor), and their risks
- The source is the location where the contamination that needs to be regulated is produced by a process. The LEV ventilation system developer must be aware of how the source responds to its environment in the particular workplace. There may be one or several sources, depending on the method.
The requirement should also impose the following requirements on the supplier:
- install signs, such as differential pressure gauges, that demonstrate the system’s appropriate operation.
- Assure the LEV is simple to check, use, maintain, and clean.
- offer instruction on how to use, maintain and inspect the LEV system
- Make available a user handbook that explains and describes the LEV system, how to verify, maintain, and test it, as well as performance benchmarks and timetables for part replacement.
- give the system a logbook to record the outcomes of checks and maintenance.
Testing Of Respiratory Fit
Respiratory Fit Testing Australia should be done on anyone wearing a tightly fitting respirator. According to Australian Standard 1715:2009, fit testing for users of tight-fitting respirators, including disposable, reusable, and full-face masks, should be done before the user dons the mask for the first time and then every 12 months after that.
Fit tests function by counting the small particles in the surrounding air and counting how many of those particles enter the respirator.
This establishes whether a sufficient seal is obtained on the wearer, making sure it provides sufficient protection.
Tight-fitting respirators without a suitable seal nevertheless leave the wearer exposed to the environment, which in some cases might have negative health implications. The Respiratory Fit Testing Australia can be tested at your job location. For more information visit our website: www.edgegroup.net.au