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LEV testing - year-round maintenance
A thorough examination and test proves your LEV works on the day it is tested. But a system has to keep working every day in between, and it will not do that on its own. Between the statutory tests, active maintenance is what keeps the LEV genuinely controlling exposure all year round.
The short answer
The statutory thorough examination and test verifies that the LEV works at the time of the test - but the system has to keep working every day in between, and that takes active maintenance, not just testing. Keeping LEV working all year means maintaining it: replacing consumables like filters before they clog, cleaning the system, fixing faults promptly rather than waiting for the next test, and acting on the daily and weekly checks. The test proves a moment; maintenance keeps the system controlling exposure across the whole year between examinations.
The test is a moment, not the year
The statutory thorough examination and test is essential, but it is important to see exactly what it does: it verifies that the LEV is working at the time of the test. It is a point-in-time verification - a thorough, competent assessment on the day it is carried out, confirming the system controls exposure at that moment. That is valuable and legally required, but it is a snapshot, not a guarantee that the system works every day of the year. The test proves the day it happens; it cannot prove the days in between.
And the days in between are where the system actually has to work. LEV has to control exposure every working day, not just on the fourteen-monthly test date, so what matters is that it keeps working across the whole period between tests. But a system does not stay working on its own - it degrades, develops faults, and can fall below the level needed to control exposure at any point in that period. So the test verifying it works today does not ensure it works next month; keeping it working through the year between tests is a separate matter, and one the test alone does not address.
Maintenance, not just testing
Keeping LEV working between tests is about maintenance - actively keeping the system in good working order - which is different from testing. Testing checks whether the system works; maintenance keeps it working. These are complementary but distinct: you can test a system regularly and still have it fail between tests if it is not maintained, because the testing verifies without preserving. So while the statutory test is the periodic verification, active maintenance in between is what actually keeps the system in the working condition the test verifies.
This distinction matters because relying on the test alone is relying on verification without upkeep. A system left unmaintained between tests will degrade - and the next test may then find it failing, months into a period of not controlling exposure. Maintaining it between tests keeps it in good order continuously, so it keeps working and the next test finds it still performing. Keeping LEV working all year is therefore a maintenance task that runs alongside the testing - the doing that keeps the system up, as distinct from the checking that verifies it.
What maintenance involves
The maintenance that keeps LEV working through the year involves a few concrete things. Consumables need replacing before they fail - filters in particular load up with the contaminant over time and restrict airflow as they clog, so replacing them on a proper schedule, before they choke the system, keeps the airflow where it needs to be. The system needs keeping clean - ductwork can foul, and keeping it clear maintains the airflow. And wear and developing problems need attending to as part of ongoing upkeep, rather than being left to accumulate.
Above all, faults need fixing promptly rather than waiting for the next test. If something goes wrong with the system between tests - a hood damaged, a fan struggling, capture visibly dropping - it should be fixed as soon as it is noticed, because leaving it means a period of the system not controlling exposure until the next scheduled test happens to catch it. Prompt repair of faults as they arise is central to keeping the system working all year. So maintenance is replacing consumables before they fail, keeping the system clean, attending to wear, and fixing faults promptly - the active upkeep that keeps the LEV in working order continuously.
Watching and acting between tests
Maintenance works hand in hand with the ongoing checks between tests. Simple daily and weekly checks by staff - looking and listening for changes, watching airflow indicators, noticing damage or reduced capture - are what surface the problems that maintenance then addresses. The checks watch the system between tests; the maintenance acts on what they find. A check that spots a fault is only useful if the fault is then fixed, so the checks and the maintenance together form the between-tests regime: watch for problems, and put them right.
So keeping LEV working all year is the combination of watching and acting: staff checking the system regularly to catch problems early, and prompt maintenance to fix what is found and keep the system in good order - replacing filters, cleaning, repairing faults as they arise. This ongoing regime, running between the statutory tests, is what keeps the system genuinely controlling exposure across the whole year, rather than only being confirmed to work on the test date. The test verifies periodically; the checks and maintenance keep it working continuously. Both are needed to keep LEV protecting workers every day, not just on the day it is tested.
The takeaway
The statutory thorough examination and test verifies that your LEV works on the day it is tested - a valuable, legally required snapshot, but a snapshot, not a guarantee that the system works every day in between. And the days in between are where the system actually has to keep controlling exposure, which it will not do on its own, because it degrades and develops faults across the period.
So keeping LEV working all year takes active maintenance alongside the testing: replacing consumables like filters before they clog, keeping the system clean, attending to wear, and fixing faults promptly rather than waiting for the next test - all fed by the daily and weekly checks that catch problems early. Testing verifies the system works; maintenance keeps it working. Both together keep the LEV genuinely controlling exposure every day of the year, not just on the test date - which is what actually protects the workers it is there to protect.
Questions
No - it verifies the system works at the time of the test, a point-in-time snapshot. It cannot ensure the system works every day in between, where the system actually has to keep controlling exposure. Keeping it working through the year is a separate matter of maintenance.
Testing checks whether the system works; maintenance keeps it working. They are complementary but distinct - you can test regularly and still have the system fail between tests if it is not maintained, because testing verifies without preserving. Both are needed.
Replacing consumables like filters before they clog and restrict airflow, keeping the system and ductwork clean, attending to wear, and above all fixing faults promptly as they arise rather than waiting for the next test. It is the active upkeep that keeps the system in working order.
Because leaving a fault - a damaged hood, a struggling fan, dropping capture - means a period of the system not controlling exposure until the next scheduled test happens to catch it. Prompt repair as faults arise is central to keeping the system working all year.
The checks watch the system between tests - catching changes, damage or reduced capture - and the maintenance acts on what they find. A check that spots a fault is only useful if the fault is then fixed, so checks and maintenance together form the between-tests regime: watch, then put right.
The combination of testing (periodic verification), checks (watching for problems between tests), and maintenance (fixing them and keeping the system in order - filters, cleaning, prompt repairs). Together they keep the system genuinely controlling exposure every day, not just on the test date.
We carry out the statutory examination and test, and can advise on the maintenance - filters, cleaning, prompt fault fixing - that keeps your LEV genuinely working all year between tests.
