Colophony or Rosin Based Solder Flux Fume is a known cause of occupational asthma and as such exposure to it should be controlled. An effective method of engineering exposure control is to use local exhaust ventilation (LEV) to extract the fume at source. Personal exposure to solder fume was quantitatively measured in the breathing zone of a manikin, these exposures were then compared to those caused by uncontrolled soldering in order to assess five different LEV systems. The five LEV systems tested were a downdraught bench; an extracted bench top enclosure, a mobile capturing hood, an on-tip extraction system and a bench top fume absorber.

What does LEV testing involve? A thorough examination of equipment including hoods, filters and ducts, measurement of the technical performance using the appropriate equipment and assessment of the effectiveness of the LEV system. We will make recommendations should your system not be up to the required standard. All work is carried out according to HSE guidance which governs LEV testing.

LEV Testing is a legal requirement in the UK for compliance with health and safety standards. LEV Test reports often form part of a company’s insurance policy. Inadequate testing can result in employers being prosecuted, insurance policies being invalidated and even employees becoming ill.

How Welding Supplies Direct can help ? WE will carry out a thorough tests in line with COSHH Regulation 9 as detailed in HSE Guide HSG258 Our levels of service can be tailored to your Companies needs. However, most clients choose to take advantage of by combining servicing with the LEV testing. Read more info on Local Exhaust Ventilation LEV Testing.

The employer decides who to employ or consult and needs to be an ‘intelligent customer’ to get the best result. HSE has produced simple guidance to help the employer choose a supplier when they are considering installing LEV (see HSE leaflet Clearing the air). Suppliers need to prepare their information to respond to this approach.