Routine checks and LEV testing records are not the same thing: one is regular internal checking, the other is the more formal examination and testing record.
Fabora resources
LEV testing records guide for UK workshops.
LEV testing records are the formal record trail around examination and testing of local exhaust ventilation, dust extraction, and welding fume extraction systems. For UK fabrication workshops, welding workshops, engineering shops, grinding and fettling areas, foundries, workshop managers, H&S managers, and industrial businesses using extraction, clear records make it easier to see what was tested, what was found, and what needs follow-up.
Short answer
Good LEV testing records connect the test report to the right extraction asset, show the findings and next due date clearly, and keep corrective actions visible until they have been reviewed and closed out.
- Routine checks and LEV testing records are not the same thing: one is regular internal checking, the other is the more formal examination and testing record.
- The record should not stop at the LEV test report. Findings, defects, restrictions, recommendations, and corrective actions need a clear follow-up trail.
- LEV Ready helps with record organisation, asset history, due dates, and evidence, while competent review stays with the business and relevant specialists.
General guidance only. This page is not legal advice and does not replace competent LEV examination, specialist judgement, COSHH review, or the business's own responsibility to review and act on findings.
Practical summary
What to take from this page
Good LEV testing records connect the test report to the right extraction asset, show the findings and next due date clearly, and keep corrective actions visible until they have been reviewed and closed out.
General guidance only. This page is not legal advice and does not replace competent LEV examination, specialist judgement, COSHH review, or the business's own responsibility to review and act on findings. For official detail, use the source links later on this page.
The record should not stop at the LEV test report. Findings, defects, restrictions, recommendations, and corrective actions need a clear follow-up trail.
LEV Ready helps with record organisation, asset history, due dates, and evidence, while competent review stays with the business and relevant specialists.
Introduction
What LEV testing records are and why they matter
LEV testing records are the evidence trail for formal examination and testing of extraction systems. They help the business understand the condition and performance record for each asset, especially where welding fume extraction, dust extraction, or other local exhaust ventilation is relied on in daily work.
They tie testing to real assets
The record should make it clear which extraction arm, booth, bench, fan, filter unit, ducted system, mobile extractor, or other LEV asset the test relates to.
They support review and planning
A useful LEV inspection record helps workshop managers and health and safety managers see the test date, findings, next due date, and any follow-up work that still needs attention.
They matter beyond the certificate
The certificate or report is important, but the business also needs a practical way to keep the report with the asset history and track what happens next.
Typical contents
What LEV testing records usually include
The format can vary by provider and system, but most useful LEV testing records cover the asset, the location, the test, the findings, and the next action.
Asset ID or system name
A clear asset ID, tag, or system name helps the team match the LEV test report to the right extraction equipment.
Site and area
The record should show the site, workshop, bay, booth, line, grinding area, fettling area, or foundry area where the asset is used.
Date of examination or test
The examination date and any next due date should be easy to find, because missed dates are one of the common problems with LEV records.
Person or company carrying out the examination
The record should identify who carried out the examination or testing, with enough detail for the business to review the source of the report.
Test report or certificate
The LEV test report, certificate, reference number, and related document should be kept with the asset record rather than sitting loose in email or a separate folder.
Airflow or performance notes
Where recorded, airflow readings, performance notes, benchmark information, or other measured details help the business understand the condition of the system.
Findings and recommendations
Inspection findings, recommendations, defects, restrictions, and advisory notes should be visible enough for managers to review and assign follow-up work.
Corrective actions and evidence
A strong record also keeps corrective actions, owners, target dates, close-out notes, supporting photos, and documents tied to the original finding.
Checks versus testing
LEV testing records vs routine checks
Routine checks and thorough examination records both matter, but they are not the same thing. Keeping the difference clear helps workshops avoid treating informal checks as a replacement for formal examination and testing.
Routine checks are regular internal checks
Routine checks are usually the day-to-day or scheduled user checks carried out by the business, supervisors, maintenance staff, or trained users to spot obvious condition, use, or performance issues.
Testing records are more formal
LEV testing records and LEV thorough examination records are the more formal records from competent examination or testing of the system.
Both should sit against the same asset
The internal check history and the formal LEV inspection record are easier to understand when they sit inside the same asset history.
This is not legal advice
The exact review route, competence requirements, and action decisions should be handled by the business and relevant specialists using current official guidance and the actual workplace context.
Management problems
Why LEV testing records get difficult to manage
The hard part is often not receiving a report. It is keeping the report matched to the asset, keeping the due date visible, and making sure findings are reviewed and followed up.
Reports stored in emails
LEV test reports can sit in one person's inbox, making them hard to find when a manager, auditor, service provider, or supervisor needs the record later.
Certificates saved in folders
Shared folders can work, but certificates often get saved by date or provider rather than by extraction asset, which weakens the asset history.
Assets not clearly matched to reports
Similar extraction arms, booths, or mobile units can be confused if the asset ID, area, and report reference are not tied together clearly.
Missed next due dates
Next due dates are easy to miss when they are buried inside a PDF, spreadsheet, calendar, or paper folder rather than visible on the asset record.
Findings not followed up
Recommendations and defects can be noted in a report but never assigned to an owner, reviewed for priority, or tracked through to completion.
No clear view of overdue work
Without due-soon and overdue views, workshop extraction records can look complete while actions, services, or examinations are quietly slipping.
Follow-up actions
Thorough examination records and follow-up actions
A thorough examination record should start a review process when findings are raised. The useful management question is what the business did after the report arrived.
Review the findings
The business should review inspection findings, defects, restrictions, recommendations, and any supporting notes in the context of the asset and the work it supports.
Assign actions
Corrective actions are clearer when they have an owner, target date, priority, status, and a link back to the original LEV test report or inspection finding.
Track close-out
The record should show whether an action is open, due soon, overdue, or closed, with enough notes or evidence to explain what happened.
Keep evidence with the asset
Photos, service notes, replacement records, supplier reports, and close-out documents are easier to trust when they sit with the same extraction asset history.
LEV Ready
How LEV Ready helps organise LEV testing records
LEV Ready helps workshops keep LEV testing records organised around the asset. It supports record organisation, due-date visibility, and follow-up control without claiming to replace competent examination or business review.
Sites, areas, and extraction assets
Set up the sites and areas your business manages, then keep each extraction asset record tied to the right place.
QR labels
Use QR labels so the team can open the right asset record from the workshop floor when checks, service work, or follow-up reviews happen.
Routine checks and service records
Keep routine checks and service records alongside the formal LEV testing records so the wider asset history is easier to read.
Thorough examination records
Store thorough examination records, LEV test report files, inspection findings, dates, and next due dates against the relevant asset.
Corrective actions
Track findings, defects, restrictions, owners, target dates, close-out status, and notes so actions do not disappear after the report is filed.
Documents and photos
Attach certificates, reports, photos, and supporting documents to keep the evidence close to the asset history.
PDF asset reports
Create PDF asset reports when the business needs a cleaner export of the asset record and testing history.
Reminder digests and due views
Use reminder digests plus due-soon and overdue views to help managers see upcoming tests, overdue records, and open corrective actions.
LEV logbooks
How testing records link with the wider LEV logbook
LEV testing records should not sit on their own. They work best as part of the wider LEV logbook and asset history, alongside the register, routine checks, service notes, photos, documents, and corrective actions.
The register says what exists
The LEV register lists the assets and helps the business understand the extraction equipment it needs to manage.
The logbook shows what happened
The LEV logbook holds the practical history, including routine checks, LEV testing records, service work, findings, and evidence.
Testing records are part of that history
Keeping the LEV test report inside the wider logbook makes it easier to see whether findings match earlier issues or later corrective work.
Read the LEV logbook guide next
The related Fabora LEV logbook guide explains how asset records, checks, services, documents, photos, and actions fit together in a practical workshop record.
Final review
LEV Ready helps organise records, but review still stays with the business
A digital record system can make LEV testing records easier to manage, but it does not replace competent inspection, legal responsibility, or business review.
Competent inspection still matters
LEV Ready helps organise asset records, reports, photos, dates, and actions. It does not carry out the competent examination or decide whether the system is suitable.
The business still reviews findings
The business and relevant specialists still need to review inspection findings, defects, restrictions, recommendations, exposure controls, and the action needed.
Responsibility is not transferred
Using software to manage LEV records does not transfer legal responsibility away from the duty holder or the people responsible for the workplace.
Records only help when acted on
LEV testing records are most useful when findings are assigned, tracked, reviewed, and closed out with suitable evidence where action is needed.
Official guidance
Relevant official sources
These links point to the underlying official material. This page is a practical summary, not a replacement for those sources, competent review, or legal advice.
HSE: Commission your LEV system
Useful HSE guidance on commissioning, benchmarking, training expectations, checking, maintenance, and regular examination and testing.
HSE: Clearing the air
Plain-English HSE guidance on buying, using, maintaining, checking, and examining local exhaust ventilation systems.
HSE: Welding fume - protect your workers
Useful HSE context where LEV testing records support welding fume extraction records and workshop fume-control management.
HSE: How to carry out a COSHH risk assessment
Useful background where LEV testing records sit inside wider COSHH management for fumes, dusts, and other process-generated exposure.
FAQ
Common questions
Short answers on practical use, review expectations, and where this guidance stops.
Important note
Final review, suitability, and approval still remain with the customer's business and the people responsible for the job.
What are LEV testing records?
LEV testing records are the formal records created around examination and testing of local exhaust ventilation or extraction systems. They usually identify the asset, site, area, test date, person or company carrying out the examination, findings, report details, next due date, and any follow-up actions.
What should an LEV test report include?
An LEV test report usually needs enough information to identify the system tested, the date of examination, who carried it out, relevant performance or airflow notes where recorded, findings, recommendations, defects or restrictions, and the next due date. The exact report content should be reviewed by competent people using the actual system and current guidance.
Are LEV testing records the same as routine checks?
No. Routine checks are regular internal or user checks. LEV testing records and thorough examination records are the more formal records from competent examination or testing. Both are useful, but they are not interchangeable.
How should LEV findings be followed up?
Findings should be reviewed, assigned to an owner where action is needed, given a target date, tracked through open and overdue status, and closed out with suitable notes, documents, or photos where relevant.
How can workshops keep track of LEV due dates?
Workshops can keep due dates clearer by tying each next test, service, routine check, and corrective action to the relevant extraction asset, then using a due-soon or overdue view rather than relying only on folders or emails.
How does LEV Ready help with LEV testing records?
LEV Ready helps workshops manage sites, areas, extraction assets, QR labels, routine checks, service records, thorough examination records, corrective actions, documents, photos, PDF asset reports, reminder digests, and due-soon or overdue views. Competent review stays with the business.
Related reading
Continue from here
These links keep the topic moving, either into related guidance or into the Fabora RAMS product pages.
LEV logbook guide for UK workshops
Useful if you want the wider view of how testing records sit inside asset history, checks, service records, documents, and actions.
Welding fume control and LEV for fabrication workshops
Useful background on extraction setup, source capture, maintenance, and welding fume control in fabrication workshops.
COSHH and welding consumables for steelwork teams
Useful where LEV testing records sit alongside wider COSHH review around fumes, gases, dusts, and consumables.
PUWER checks and workshop machinery controls for steel fabrication businesses
Useful if extraction equipment management sits within a wider workshop equipment, maintenance, and supervision picture.