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LEV testing - warning signs
Headaches at work are common and have many possible causes - but if your staff are getting them in a pattern, especially tied to a particular process, area, or the presence of fumes, it can be a sign they're being exposed to something in the air. Poor air quality or failing extraction that isn't capturing a fume or vapour is one possible cause worth taking seriously. Here is what to consider when staff are getting headaches at work. This is general information, not medical advice.
The short answer
If your staff are getting headaches at work, it's worth thinking about why - because while headaches are common and often have causes unrelated to the air (stress, screen time, dehydration, noise, poor lighting), a pattern of headaches tied to the workplace can sometimes be a warning that staff are being exposed to something in the air. Poor air quality, or failing extraction that isn't capturing a fume or vapour, is one possible cause worth taking seriously. Here's what to consider. This is general information, not medical advice - persistent or concerning symptoms should be looked at by a professional. Headaches have many causes. First, the caveat: headaches at work are common and have many possible causes, plenty of them nothing to do with air quality - stress and pressure, long periods at a screen, dehydration, missed meals, noise, poor lighting, eye strain, or causes personal to the individual. So a headache, or even several, isn't automatically an air-quality problem, and it would be wrong to jump straight to that. The question is whether there's a pattern that points to the workplace air. Look for a pattern. The thing to notice is a pattern. Are the headaches clustered around a particular process, or a particular part of the workplace? Do they coincide with times when there's a smell, a visible fume or haze, or a particular activity running? And - a telling sign - do they ease when staff are away from that area or process: better at the weekend, on holiday, or after time in fresh air, and returning when they're back at the work? A pattern like this - tied to a place, a process, or fumes, and easing away from them - points towards a workplace-air cause rather than a general one. A scatter of unrelated headaches doesn't; a cluster tied to a process does. So it's the pattern, not the headache alone, that's the clue. Why the air could be the cause. If there is such a pattern, here's why the air could be behind it: some fumes and vapours can cause headaches when inhaled. Certain solvents (and other substances) have headache among their effects at the sort of levels that can build up in a poorly-ventilated or poorly-extracted space. So if a process in your workplace releases such a substance - a solvent, a vapour, a fume - and it isn't being properly captured and removed, the staff breathing it can get headaches as a result. The headache is a response to the exposure. And headache is often one of the milder, earlier effects - which is exactly why it's worth heeding, because more serious effects can lie behind the same exposure. The extraction angle. A specific thing to check is the extraction. If there's local exhaust ventilation (LEV) for a fume or vapour, and it's failing - not capturing the substance at source, degraded, badly positioned, or running but not actually working - then the substance escapes into the air the staff breathe, and headaches can be a sign of that. This connects to a common theme: extraction that's running isn't necessarily working, and staff symptoms (headaches, but also irritation, or feeling unwell) can be a sign that a running system isn't capturing what it should (covered in the workers-reporting-headaches-could-it-be-your-lev page). So failing extraction is one concrete, checkable possible cause of workplace headaches. What to do. So if staff are getting headaches with a workplace pattern, take it seriously rather than dismissing it. Look at whether the headaches are tied to a particular process or area. Consider what substances that process releases (a solvent, a fume) and whether they can cause headaches. Check whether the ventilation and any extraction are actually working - for LEV, a thorough examination and test establishes whether it's genuinely capturing the substance, rather than just running. And get advice - occupational health for the health side, and LEV testing for the extraction side. Because headaches can be an early warning of an exposure, investigating the cause is worthwhile, even though not every headache is about the air. The takeaway. So staff getting headaches at work can have many causes, but a pattern of headaches tied to a process, area, or fumes - and easing away from them - may signal poor air quality or failing extraction exposing them to a substance. Some fumes and vapours cause headaches, and failing extraction that isn't capturing them is one checkable cause. It's worth investigating - looking at the pattern, the substances, and whether the extraction is actually working (which testing establishes) - rather than dismissing the headaches, because they can be an early warning. This is general information, not medical advice. This is general information.
Key points
Headaches have many causes
First, the caveat: headaches at work are common and have many possible causes, plenty of them nothing to do with air quality. Stress and pressure, long periods at a screen, dehydration, missed meals, noise, poor lighting, eye strain, or causes personal to the individual - all can cause headaches. So a headache, or even several across a workforce, isn't automatically an air-quality problem, and it would be wrong to jump straight to that conclusion.
This matters because over-attributing headaches to the air can be as unhelpful as ignoring a real exposure - you could chase an air problem that isn't there while missing the actual cause (or vice versa). So the sensible approach isn't to assume headaches mean an exposure, but to look for whether there's a pattern that points to the workplace air (next). The headache alone isn't the signal; the pattern is. Keeping this balance - taking headaches seriously as a possible warning, without assuming they're always about the air - is the right starting point. So headaches have many causes - don't jump straight to the air - is the necessary caveat: not every headache is an exposure, so look for the pattern before concluding. What pattern to look for follows. So a headache isn't automatically an air problem - look for a pattern. This is general information, not medical advice. This is general information.
Look for a pattern
The thing to notice is a pattern. Are the headaches clustered around a particular process, or a particular part of the workplace? Do they coincide with times when there's a smell, a visible fume or haze, or a particular activity running? And - a telling sign - do they ease when staff are away from that area or process: better at the weekend, on holiday, or after time in fresh air, and returning when they're back at the work?
A pattern like this - tied to a place, a process, or fumes, and easing away from them - points towards a workplace-air cause rather than a general one. The easing-away-from-work sign is particularly useful: if headaches consistently improve when someone is off and return when they're back at a particular task, that points to something at that task. By contrast, a scatter of unrelated headaches across different people, times and places, with no link to any process or area, doesn't point to the air. So it's the pattern - the clustering and the link to a process, area or fume, and the easing away - that's the clue, not the headache in isolation. This is what distinguishes a possible exposure warning from ordinary headaches. So look for a pattern - tied to a process or area, easing away from it - is the diagnostic step: a workplace-linked pattern is what points to the air. Why the air can cause it follows. So a pattern tied to a process, easing away, points to the air. This is general information. This is general information.
Why the air can cause it
If there is such a pattern, here's why the air could be behind it: some fumes and vapours can cause headaches when inhaled. Certain solvents, and other substances, have headache among their effects at the sort of levels that can build up in a poorly-ventilated or poorly-extracted space. So if a process in your workplace releases such a substance - a solvent, a vapour, a fume - and it isn't being properly captured and removed, the staff breathing it can get headaches as a result.
The headache, in that case, is a response to the exposure - the body reacting to inhaling the substance. And headache is often one of the milder, earlier effects of such an exposure, which is exactly why it's worth heeding: more serious effects can lie behind the same exposure that's causing the headaches, so the headache can be an early warning of a problem that could get worse. This is the key reason not to dismiss a pattern of workplace headaches: they may be the first, mild sign of an exposure that also carries more serious risks. So why the air can cause it - some fumes and vapours cause headaches - explains the link: an uncaptured substance in the air can cause headaches, often as an early sign of exposure. The extraction angle follows. So an inhaled fume or vapour can cause headaches, as an early sign. This is general information, not medical advice. This is general information.
The extraction angle
A specific thing to check is the extraction. If there's local exhaust ventilation (LEV) for a fume or vapour, and it's failing - not capturing the substance at source, degraded, badly positioned, or running but not actually working - then the substance escapes into the air the staff breathe, and headaches can be a sign of that exposure. So a pattern of headaches tied to a process that has extraction is a prompt to check whether that extraction is genuinely working.
This connects to a recurring theme: extraction that's running isn't necessarily working, and staff symptoms - headaches, but also irritation, or feeling unwell around a process - can be a sign that a running system isn't capturing what it should (covered in the workers-reporting-headaches-could-it-be-your-lev page). The staff and the running fan can both be present while the substance still isn't being captured, and the headaches are the human evidence of the gap. So failing extraction is one concrete, checkable possible cause of workplace headaches - and, unlike some causes, one you can directly test. So the extraction angle - failing extraction may be exposing them - is the specific lead to follow: check whether the extraction for the relevant process is actually capturing the substance. What to do overall follows. So check whether the extraction is really capturing the fume. This is general information. This is general information.
What to do
So if staff are getting headaches with a workplace pattern, take it seriously rather than dismissing it. Look at whether the headaches are tied to a particular process or area (the pattern). Consider what substances that process releases - a solvent, a vapour, a fume - and whether they can cause headaches. Check whether the ventilation and any extraction are actually working: for LEV, a thorough examination and test establishes whether it's genuinely capturing the substance at source, rather than just running.
And get appropriate advice - occupational health for the health side (assessing the staff and the symptoms), and LEV testing for the extraction side (establishing whether the system is controlling the exposure). The two together address both whether there's an exposure and whether the control is failing. Because headaches can be an early warning of an exposure - potentially with more serious effects behind it - investigating the cause is worthwhile, even though not every headache is about the air. The aim is to find out whether there's a real exposure and, if so, fix the control before the exposure causes worse than headaches. So what to do - investigate the pattern, the substance, and the extraction - is the practical response: don't dismiss the headaches; check the pattern, consider the substances, test the extraction, and get advice. So investigate it: check the pattern, the substances, and test the extraction. This is general information, not medical advice. This is general information.
Questions
Not necessarily - headaches have many causes (stress, screens, dehydration, noise, lighting), so a headache isn't automatically an air problem; but a pattern of headaches tied to a process, area or fumes, and easing away from them, can point to poor air quality or failing extraction and is worth investigating. Not necessarily - headaches at work don't automatically mean an air quality problem, because headaches are common and have many possible causes unrelated to the air: stress and pressure, long periods at a screen, dehydration, missed meals, noise, poor lighting, eye strain, or causes personal to the individual. So a headache, or even several across a workforce, isn't in itself proof of an exposure, and it would be a mistake to jump straight to that conclusion. What matters is whether there's a pattern that points to the workplace air. The things to notice: are the headaches clustered around a particular process or part of the workplace? Do they coincide with a smell, a visible fume, or a particular activity? And do they ease when staff are away from that process or area - better at the weekend or on holiday, returning when they're back? A pattern like that - tied to a place, process or fume, and easing away from it - points towards a workplace-air cause (poor air quality, or failing extraction not capturing a substance) and is worth investigating. A scatter of unrelated headaches with no such link doesn't. So the answer is: not every headache is an air problem, but a workplace-linked pattern of them can be, and is worth taking seriously. So not automatically - but a workplace-linked pattern is worth investigating. So not necessarily; look for a pattern before concluding. This is general information, not medical advice. This is general information.
Headaches clustered around a particular process or area, coinciding with a smell or visible fume, and easing when staff are away from that work (better at weekends or on holiday, returning when back) - a pattern tied to a place, process or fumes and easing away from them points to the air, unlike a scatter of unrelated headaches. The pattern that suggests an exposure is one tied to the workplace - specifically to a process, an area, or the presence of fumes - and easing away from it. The key features to look for: Clustering around a particular process or part of the workplace - the headaches affect people doing or near a particular task, rather than being scattered randomly. Coinciding with fumes or a smell - they happen when there's a smell, a visible fume or haze, or a particular activity running, rather than at unrelated times. And, most tellingly, easing away from the work - the headaches improve when staff are away from that area or process (better at the weekend, on holiday, or after time in fresh air) and return when they're back at the task. This easing-away sign is particularly useful, because it links the headaches directly to something at the work. A pattern with these features points towards a workplace-air cause: poor air quality, or failing extraction not capturing a substance the process releases. By contrast, a scatter of unrelated headaches - different people, times and places, no link to any process or area, no easing away from work - doesn't point to the air. So it's the clustering, the link to fumes, and the easing away that make a pattern suggestive of an exposure. So a process-linked pattern that eases away from work suggests exposure. So clustered around a process, linked to fumes, easing away from work. This is general information, not medical advice. This is general information.
Yes - some fumes and vapours can cause headaches when inhaled; certain solvents and other substances have headache among their effects at levels that can build up in a poorly-ventilated or poorly-extracted space, so an uncaptured substance can cause headaches, often as one of the milder, earlier signs of exposure. Yes - some fumes and vapours can cause headaches when inhaled. Certain solvents, and other substances found in workplaces, have headache among their effects at the sort of levels that can build up in a poorly-ventilated or poorly-extracted space. So if a process releases such a substance - a solvent, a vapour, a fume - and it isn't being properly captured and removed, the staff breathing it can get headaches as a direct result of the exposure. The headache in that case is the body's response to inhaling the substance. Importantly, headache is often one of the milder, earlier effects of such an exposure - which is exactly why it shouldn't be dismissed. More serious effects can lie behind the same exposure that's causing the headaches, so a pattern of workplace headaches can be an early warning of a problem that carries greater risks than the headache itself. This is the key reason to take a pattern of workplace headaches seriously: they may be the first, mild sign of a real exposure. That said, the presence of a substance that can cause headaches doesn't prove it's the cause in a given case - which is why investigating (checking the pattern, the substances, and whether the extraction is working) matters. But yes, fumes and vapours genuinely can cause headaches, so it's a real possibility to check. So yes - some fumes and vapours cause headaches, often as an early sign. So yes; certain solvents and vapours can cause headaches when inhaled. This is general information, not medical advice. This is general information.
Possibly - if there's LEV for a fume or vapour and it's failing (not capturing the substance, degraded, badly positioned, or running but not working), the substance escapes into the air staff breathe, and headaches can be a sign; a running system isn't necessarily working, so it's worth testing whether it's actually capturing. Possibly yes - failing extraction could be causing the headaches, and it's one of the more checkable causes. If there's local exhaust ventilation (LEV) for a fume or vapour, and it's failing - not capturing the substance at source, degraded over time, badly positioned, or running but not actually working - then the substance escapes into the air the staff breathe. If that substance can cause headaches (as some solvents and vapours do), the headaches can be a sign of that exposure. The important point is that extraction running isn't the same as extraction working: the system can be on and humming while failing to capture what it should, so the presence of extraction doesn't rule it out as the cause. Staff symptoms - headaches, but also irritation or feeling unwell around a process - can be the human evidence that a running system isn't capturing the substance. So a pattern of headaches tied to a process that has extraction is a strong prompt to check whether that extraction is genuinely working. Unlike some possible causes of headaches, this one can be directly tested: a thorough examination and test of the LEV establishes whether it's actually capturing the substance at source, rather than just running. So if failing extraction is behind the headaches, testing will reveal it, and it can be fixed. So possibly - and it's worth testing the extraction to find out. So possibly; test whether the extraction is actually capturing. This is general information. This is general information.
Take a workplace pattern seriously: look at whether the headaches are tied to a process or area, consider what substances that process releases, check whether the ventilation and extraction are actually working (a thorough examination and test establishes whether LEV is capturing the substance), and get occupational health and LEV testing advice. If staff are getting headaches at work, and there's a pattern that points to the workplace, take it seriously rather than dismissing it - and investigate along a few lines. First, look at the pattern: are the headaches tied to a particular process or area, and do they ease away from that work? This tells you whether to suspect the air. Second, consider the substances: what does the relevant process release (a solvent, a vapour, a fume), and can it cause headaches? This tells you what might be behind it. Third, check whether the ventilation and any extraction are actually working: for LEV, a thorough examination and test establishes whether it's genuinely capturing the substance at source, rather than just running - so if failing extraction is the cause, testing will reveal it. Fourth, get appropriate advice: occupational health for the health side (assessing the staff and symptoms) and LEV testing for the extraction side (establishing whether the control is failing). The two together address both whether there's an exposure and whether the control is at fault. The reason to investigate rather than dismiss is that headaches can be an early warning of an exposure, potentially with more serious effects behind them - so finding and fixing the cause (including any failing extraction) matters. Not every headache is about the air, but a workplace pattern is worth getting to the bottom of. So investigate the pattern, the substances, and the extraction, and get advice. So check the pattern and substances, test the extraction, and get advice. This is general information, not medical advice. This is general information.
No - extraction that seems fine (running, looking normal) isn't proof it's working, since a running system can fail to capture; if there's a pattern of headaches tied to a process with extraction, have the extraction tested to confirm it's actually capturing, rather than assuming it's fine because it appears to be. No - you shouldn't dismiss a pattern of headaches just because the extraction seems fine, because 'seems fine' isn't proof that it's working. Extraction that's running and looks normal can still be failing to capture the substance it's meant to control - it may be degraded (a clogged filter, worn fan, blocked duct), badly positioned, or inadequate, while still running and appearing to work. So the extraction seeming fine (it's on, it looks okay) doesn't establish that it's actually capturing the fume or vapour, and therefore doesn't rule it out as the cause of the headaches. If there's a pattern of headaches tied to a particular process or area - especially one that has extraction - the right response is to confirm the extraction is genuinely working, not to assume it is because it appears to be. A thorough examination and test measures whether the system is actually capturing the substance at source (the airflow, the capture), rather than just whether it's running - so it can establish whether failing extraction is behind the headaches. Dismissing the headaches on the strength of the extraction 'seeming fine' risks missing a real exposure, since the whole point is that a running-but-not-working system looks fine while failing. So a pattern of workplace headaches with a process that has extraction is a reason to test the extraction, not to trust its appearance. So no - test it to confirm, don't assume it's fine because it seems fine. So no; a running system can seem fine while failing - test it. This is general information, not medical advice. This is general information.
Staff headaches tied to a process can be an early sign of an exposure - and failing extraction that isn't capturing a fume is one checkable cause; we thoroughly examine and test LEV, establishing whether it's genuinely capturing the substance, so an exposure behind the symptoms is found and fixed, as COSHH requires. Ask us to test your LEV. This is general information.
