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LEV testing - inspections
When an HSE inspector visits a workshop with extraction, a lot of the visit is documents. The inspector wants to see that you understand your risks and are managing them - and the paperwork is how you show it. Knowing which documents they will usually ask for lets you have them ready, so an inspection goes smoothly rather than exposing gaps. Here is the paperwork an HSE inspector typically asks for around LEV and workplace exposure. This is general information, not legal advice.
The short answer
An HSE inspector's visit to a workshop isn't only about looking at the extraction and the workplace - a lot of it is about documents. The inspector wants to establish whether you understand your risks and are managing them, and the paperwork is the main evidence of that. So a good part of being ready for an inspection is having the right documents ready, current and organised. Here's what an inspector will typically ask for around LEV and exposure. This is general information, not legal advice. The COSHH assessment. The foundation document is your COSHH assessment - the assessment of the hazardous substances in your work (dust, fume, mist, vapour) and how you control them. This shows you've identified the risks and worked out the controls, which is where managing exposure starts. An inspector will want to see it, and to see that it's a real, specific assessment of your actual work, not a generic template. So the COSHH assessment is the first thing to have ready. The LEV thorough examination reports. The key LEV document is your thorough examination and test reports - the reports from the regular testing of your extraction. These show the LEV has been thoroughly examined and tested at regular intervals (at least every fourteen months for most systems) and confirmed to be working. The inspector will want to see recent reports, that the testing is up to date, and that any faults found were acted on. So the thorough examination reports are central - they're the evidence the LEV is a proven, working control, not just installed. Maintenance and commissioning records. Alongside the test reports, the inspector may ask for the LEV maintenance records (showing the extraction is maintained between tests - filter changes, checks, repairs) and the original manufacturer's or commissioning information (the performance the LEV was designed to achieve, which the thorough examination checks against). Together these show the LEV is looked after and has a known benchmark. So the maintenance and commissioning records support the test reports. Training records. The inspector will often ask for training records - showing that workers are trained to use the extraction properly, work safely, and understand the risks of the substances they work with. Controls only work if people use them correctly, so training is part of managing the risk, and the records show it's been done. So training records are part of the picture. RPE and health surveillance records. Where respiratory protection (RPE) is used, the inspector may ask for RPE records - face-fit test records (showing the RPE fits the wearer) and maintenance. And where the exposure requires health surveillance (as isocyanates, some sensitisers and some dusts do), they'll ask for the health surveillance records, showing workers' health is monitored to catch early signs of harm. So the RPE and health surveillance records show the further layers of control are in place. What the documents tell the inspector. The inspector uses all these to judge whether you're managing the risk. Present, current, consistent documents - a real COSHH assessment, up-to-date LEV test reports, maintenance, training, health surveillance - show control. Missing, out-of-date or inconsistent documents (no COSHH assessment, overdue or absent LEV tests, no training records) suggest the risk isn't being managed, and invite further scrutiny or action. So the documents aren't a formality - they're how the inspector reads whether you're in control. The takeaway. So the documents an HSE inspector will usually ask for are: your COSHH assessment, your LEV thorough examination and test reports, your LEV maintenance and commissioning records, training records, RPE records, and health surveillance records. Being prepared for an inspection is largely having this paperwork ready, current and organised - especially the COSHH assessment and the LEV thorough examination reports, which are the core LEV documents. So it's the risk-management paperwork, ready and current. This is general information, not legal advice. This is general information.
Key points
Why documents matter
When an HSE inspector visits, a lot of the visit is about documents - because the paperwork is the main evidence of whether you understand your risks and are managing them. The inspector can look at your extraction and your workplace, but the documents show the system behind it: that you've assessed the risk, put controls in place, and are keeping them working and your people trained and monitored. So the documents aren't a bureaucratic formality; they're how the inspector reads whether you're in control of the risk.
This is why having the right documents ready, current and organised is most of being prepared for an inspection. Present, current, consistent paperwork shows control; missing, out-of-date or inconsistent paperwork suggests the risk isn't being managed, and invites further scrutiny. So the state of your documents shapes how the inspection goes - well-managed paperwork makes the visit straightforward, while gaps in it draw questions and action. Knowing which documents will be asked for (below) lets you have them ready. So why documents matter - the paperwork is the evidence of control - frames the rest: the specific documents are how you demonstrate you're managing the risk. The core LEV documents follow. So the documents evidence whether you're managing the risk. This is general information. This is general information.
The COSHH assessment
The foundation document is your COSHH assessment - the assessment of the hazardous substances in your work (the dust, fume, mist or vapour your processes create) and how you control them. This is where managing exposure starts: it shows you've identified the hazards, assessed the risk, and worked out the controls (including the LEV). So it's the document that underpins everything else, and an inspector will want to see it early.
Importantly, the inspector wants to see a real, specific COSHH assessment of your actual work - the substances you actually use, the processes you actually run, the controls you actually have - not a generic, off-the-shelf template with your name on it. A genuine assessment shows you've thought about your risks; a generic one suggests you haven't. So the COSHH assessment should be specific and current (reviewed when things change). Having a proper COSHH assessment ready is the first step in being prepared, because it's the foundation the inspector builds their questions on (why this control, is it working, are people trained). So the COSHH assessment - the foundation document - is the first thing to have ready: a real, specific assessment of your substances and controls. The LEV test reports follow. So have a real, specific COSHH assessment ready. This is general information. This is general information.
LEV thorough examination reports
The key LEV document is your thorough examination and test reports - the reports from the regular testing of your extraction. These show the LEV has been thoroughly examined and tested at regular intervals (at least every fourteen months for most systems) and confirmed to be working - controlling the exposure it's there for. So they're the evidence that the LEV is a proven, working control, not just a system that was installed once.
An inspector will want to see recent reports, that the testing is up to date (not overdue), and that any faults the reports identified were acted on (a report noting a problem, with no evidence it was fixed, is worse than no problem). Supporting these, the inspector may ask for the LEV maintenance records (showing it's maintained between tests - filter changes, checks, repairs) and the original commissioning or manufacturer's information (the performance the LEV was designed to achieve, which the thorough examination checks against). Together, the test reports, maintenance records and commissioning information show the LEV is proven, looked after, and has a known benchmark. So the LEV thorough examination reports - the key evidence the extraction works - are central to an inspection: up-to-date reports, faults acted on, backed by maintenance and commissioning records. Training and the human-side records follow. So have current LEV test reports, with faults shown as fixed. This is general information. This is general information.
Training, RPE and health surveillance
Beyond the substances and the equipment, the inspector will ask for the records that show the people side is managed. Training records: showing workers are trained to use the extraction properly, work safely, and understand the risks of the substances they work with - because controls only work if people use them correctly, so training is part of managing the risk. RPE records where respiratory protection is used: face-fit test records (showing the RPE actually fits each wearer) and maintenance records.
And health surveillance records where the exposure requires it: some exposures (isocyanates, certain sensitisers, some dusts) require health surveillance - monitoring workers' health to catch early signs of harm - and the inspector will want to see it's being done and the records kept. So these people-side records show that the controls are backed by trained workers, fitted RPE and health monitoring - the further layers beyond the LEV itself. Missing training records, unfitted RPE or absent health surveillance where it's required are gaps an inspector will pick up. So training, RPE and health surveillance - the people-side records - complete the documents: the evidence that the workforce is trained, protected and monitored, alongside the COSHH assessment and LEV reports. What the whole set tells the inspector follows. So have training, RPE-fit and health surveillance records too. This is general information. This is general information.
What the documents tell the inspector
The inspector uses all these documents together to judge whether you're managing the risk. Present, current, consistent documents - a real COSHH assessment, up-to-date LEV thorough examination reports, maintenance records, training records, RPE-fit records, health surveillance where required - show a workplace in control of its risks. So a good set of paperwork makes the inspection straightforward and reassures the inspector.
Missing, out-of-date or inconsistent documents tell the opposite story: no COSHH assessment (or a generic one), overdue or absent LEV tests, no maintenance or training records, health surveillance not done where it's required - these suggest the risk isn't being managed, and invite further scrutiny, questions, and potentially enforcement action. So the documents aren't a formality; they directly shape the inspector's judgement and the outcome of the visit. This is why being prepared is largely a matter of having the paperwork ready, current and organised before an inspector ever arrives - especially the COSHH assessment and the LEV thorough examination reports, the core LEV documents. So what the documents tell the inspector - present and current shows control, gaps invite scrutiny - is the bottom line: keep the risk-management paperwork ready and current, because it's how the inspector reads your control. So keep the paperwork ready and current; it shapes the visit. This is general information, not legal advice. This is general information.
Questions
Typically your COSHH assessment, your LEV thorough examination and test reports, LEV maintenance and commissioning records, training records, RPE face-fit records where RPE is used, and health surveillance records where the exposure requires it - the paperwork that shows you understand and manage your risks. An HSE inspector visiting a workshop with LEV will typically ask for the documents that show you understand your risks and are managing them. The main ones: your COSHH assessment (the assessment of the hazardous substances in your work and how you control them - the foundation document); your LEV thorough examination and test reports (from the regular testing of your extraction, showing it's examined at least every fourteen months and working - the key LEV document); your LEV maintenance records (showing it's maintained between tests - filter changes, checks, repairs) and the commissioning or manufacturer's information (the performance it was designed to achieve); training records (showing workers are trained to use the extraction and work safely); RPE records where respiratory protection is used (face-fit test records, maintenance); and health surveillance records where the exposure requires it (showing workers' health is monitored). The inspector uses these to judge whether you're managing the risk - present, current documents show control, while missing or out-of-date ones suggest it isn't being managed. So being prepared is largely having this paperwork ready and current, especially the COSHH assessment and the LEV test reports. So it's the risk-management paperwork - COSHH, LEV reports, training and more. This is general information, not legal advice. This is general information.
Because the documents are the main evidence of whether you understand and manage your risks - they show the system behind the workplace (that you've assessed the risk, put controls in, keep them tested, and train and monitor people); present, current paperwork shows control, and gaps suggest the risk isn't being managed. An HSE inspection is heavily focused on documents because the paperwork is the main evidence of whether you understand your risks and are managing them. The inspector can look at your extraction and your workplace directly, but the documents reveal the system behind them: that you've assessed the risk (the COSHH assessment), put controls in place, are keeping them working (the LEV test and maintenance records), and have trained and are monitoring your people (training and health surveillance records). So the documents show the ongoing management of the risk, not just its state on the day of the visit. This is why present, current, consistent documents reassure an inspector (they show a workplace in control), while missing, out-of-date or inconsistent documents suggest the risk isn't being managed and invite further scrutiny or action. The documents aren't a bureaucratic formality - they're how the inspector reads whether you're genuinely in control. So being prepared for an inspection is largely about having the right paperwork ready, current and organised. So because the documents are how the inspector judges whether you manage the risk. So because the paperwork is the evidence of control. This is general information. This is general information.
Your LEV thorough examination and test reports (showing it's tested at least every 14 months and working, with any faults acted on), your LEV maintenance records (filter changes, checks, repairs between tests), and the original commissioning or manufacturer's information (the performance it was designed to achieve, which the test checks against). The specific LEV documents to have are three, centred on the thorough examination and test reports. First, and most important, the thorough examination and test reports themselves: the reports from the regular testing of your extraction, showing it's been thoroughly examined and tested at regular intervals (at least every fourteen months for most systems) and confirmed to be working - controlling the exposure it's there for. An inspector will want recent reports, the testing up to date, and any faults the reports identified shown to have been acted on. Second, the LEV maintenance records: showing the extraction is maintained between the tests - filter changes, routine checks, repairs - so it stays working, not just proven at the test. Third, the original commissioning or manufacturer's information: the performance the LEV was designed to achieve when new, which the thorough examination checks the system against (so there's a known benchmark). Together these show the LEV is a proven, maintained control with a known standard - which is what the inspector wants to establish. So keep the test reports, maintenance records and commissioning information for your LEV. So the test reports, maintenance records and commissioning information. This is general information. This is general information.
Missing or out-of-date documents suggest to the inspector that the risk isn't being managed, which invites further scrutiny, questions and potentially enforcement action (improvement notices, or more); it's much better to have the paperwork ready and current than to be found without it - having it is most of being prepared. If you don't have the documents an inspector asks for, it suggests to them that the risk isn't being managed - and that shapes the inspection's outcome. Missing, out-of-date or inconsistent documents (no COSHH assessment or a generic one, overdue or absent LEV thorough examination reports, no maintenance or training records, health surveillance not done where it's required) tell the inspector the opposite of a workplace in control. This invites further scrutiny (more questions, a closer look), and potentially enforcement action - such as an improvement notice requiring you to put things right, or more serious action where the failings are significant. It also makes the whole visit harder and longer. So being found without the documents is a real problem, not just an inconvenience. This is why having the paperwork ready, current and organised before an inspector arrives is most of being prepared: present, current documents make the visit straightforward and show control, while gaps draw scrutiny and action. If your documents are missing or out of date, the time to fix that is before an inspection, not during one - get the COSHH assessment done, the LEV tested, the records in order. So missing documents invite scrutiny and enforcement, so have them ready. So gaps suggest poor management and invite action - have them ready. This is general information, not legal advice. This is general information.
Not really - an inspector wants a real, specific assessment of your actual substances, processes and controls, not a generic off-the-shelf template with your name on it; a genuine assessment shows you've thought about your risks, while a generic one suggests you haven't, so make the COSHH assessment specific to your work. A generic COSHH assessment doesn't really count in an inspector's eyes, because it doesn't show what a COSHH assessment is meant to show. The point of a COSHH assessment is to demonstrate that you've identified the hazardous substances in your actual work, assessed the risk they pose in your specific processes, and put suitable controls in place. A generic, off-the-shelf template with your business name added doesn't demonstrate any of that - it shows you've obtained a document, not that you've assessed your risks. So an inspector wants to see a real, specific assessment: the substances you actually use, the processes you actually run, the exposures they actually create, and the controls you actually have (including your LEV). A genuine assessment shows you've thought about your risks and how you manage them; a generic one suggests you haven't, which invites exactly the scrutiny you'd want to avoid. So the COSHH assessment should be specific to your work and kept current (reviewed when your substances, processes or controls change). If yours is generic, making it a real assessment of your work is worth doing before an inspection. So no - it should be a real, specific assessment of your work. So not really; make it specific to your actual work. This is general information, not legal advice. This is general information.
Have them ready, current and organised before an inspector arrives: a real COSHH assessment specific to your work, up-to-date LEV thorough examination reports with faults shown as fixed, maintenance and commissioning records, training records, RPE-fit records and health surveillance where required - so the paperwork shows control rather than gaps. Preparing your documents for an inspection means having them ready, current and organised before an inspector ever arrives - because the state of the paperwork is most of how the visit goes. In practice: make sure your COSHH assessment is a real, specific assessment of your actual substances, processes and controls (not a generic template), and is current. Make sure your LEV thorough examination and test reports are up to date (the testing not overdue) and that any faults they identified are shown to have been acted on. Have your LEV maintenance records and the commissioning/manufacturer's information to hand. Keep your training records current (workers trained to use the extraction and work safely). Have RPE face-fit records where RPE is used, and health surveillance records where the exposure requires it. Then keep it all organised so you can produce it readily rather than hunting for it. The key is that this is done before an inspection, not during one: if any of these are missing or out of date, fix them now (get the assessment done, the LEV tested, the records in order). Present, current, organised paperwork shows control and makes the inspection straightforward; scattered or missing paperwork does the opposite. So prepare by getting the paperwork current and organised in advance. So have it all ready, current and organised before the inspector arrives. This is general information, not legal advice. This is general information.
The LEV thorough examination and test report is one of the key documents an HSE inspector asks for - the evidence your extraction is a proven, working control; we thoroughly examine and test LEV and provide the report, so you have that evidence ready and current, as COSHH requires. Ask us to test your LEV. This is general information.
