Match the examiner to the process.

Great Britain: England, Wales and Scotland

GB COSHH testing duty and records

For LEV provided to control hazardous-substance exposure under COSHH, regulation 9 requires thorough examination and testing at least every 14 months, or the shorter Schedule 4 interval. The record or suitable summary, including resulting repairs, must be available for at least five years.

Regulation 17 excludes Northern Ireland apart from a narrow import provision. Separate lead/asbestos regimes and special applications are outside this guide.

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Great Britain; inspect the exact statutory process wording

Four processes have shorter statutory intervals

GB Schedule 4 specifies one month for blasting associated with cleaning metal castings during manufacture and for jute-cloth manufacture; six months for specified powered grinding, abrading or polishing of metal articles and for non-ferrous casting processes giving off dust or fume.

The grinding category excludes wet processes and gold, platinum or iridium articles, and applies where the activity occurs in a room for more than 12 hours in a week. Do not assign an interval from a broad industry name alone.

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Northern Ireland

NI has separate COSHH legislation

Northern Ireland's COSHH Regulations 2003 contain their own regulation 9 and Schedule 4: the text read gives a 14-month general interval, corresponding one/six-month process exceptions and five-year records. HSENI's engineering inspection guidance also requests evidence of LEV examination within 14 months.

The PDF is the as-made 2003 instrument; a complete consolidated-amendment audit was not performed. Confirm current NI application with HSENI/competent advice. Do not cite the GB 2002 instrument as the NI law.

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Additional source reference · hseni.gov.uk ↗

Great Britain regulator guidance

Match the named examiner to the actual process

HSE defines competence through knowledge, skills and application experience. Ask for relevant qualifications, previous comparable work and references. A course alone does not establish competence, and HSE does not require a particular LEV qualification.

Do not use 'HSE-approved company' or 'P601-approved company' badges: the sources do not establish such company approval. Record the named person's qualification and experience evidence.

Official public page inspected

BOHS UK qualification

P601: thorough examination and testing

BOHS P601 teaches and assesses LEV thorough examination and testing, including reporting. It is relevant evidence for the individual examiner.

Ask who holds the qualification and who will attend. Do not treat a company website's P601 statement as independent verification or as proof of process-specific competence.

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BOHS UK qualification

P602: design principles and evaluation

BOHS P602 addresses designing LEV components/systems and evaluating their performance. It is a different scope from P601 testing.

Do not promise that P601 alone covers a redesign request. Qualifications still need relevant practical experience.

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BOHS UK qualification

P604: commissioning, evaluation and management

BOHS P604 covers commissioning or recommissioning LEV, performance evaluation and management. BOHS requires P601 before attendance and recommends P602.

A routine TExT, commissioning, design review and occupational exposure assessment are distinct services. Agree the required deliverable.

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Great Britain guidance

The process and contaminant determine the brief

HSE G406 says the designer needs the process, contaminant properties and how and where it is produced. The specification must support effective control at source; bidder experience should fit that work.

A generic dust/fume tag is only a discovery aid. Confirm substances, use conditions, equipment, hoods and required professional service with the supplier.

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Great Britain COSHH ACOP and guidance

Ask for an intelligible system-specific report

L5 paragraphs 186-189 describe suitable record content: system and process identification, test conditions, layout/test points, intended versus measured performance, methods, relevant sampling results, operator use, defects, remedial work and the examiner's identity. Critical defects should be addressed immediately.

The list is adaptable to the LEV type. A generic pass sticker or airflow number alone does not demonstrate the required assessment. Ask for a redacted example report; this research did not obtain or audit a provider report.

Official document text inspected

Great Britain guidance

Supply existing performance information

HSE's FAQ asks employers to provide intended-performance information, often from commissioning or operating data. Where that information is missing, the examiner should explain what can be assessed and any limits on the judgement.

Do not claim that a TExT automatically commissions an undocumented system or proves all worker exposure risks are controlled.

Official public page inspected

Great Britain guidance

Airflow checks are part of control management

HSE says hand-feeling airflow is ineffective. Airflow indicators are recommended but are not a specific legal requirement; another suitable checking method may be used.

Avoid universal airflow pass thresholds across all hood types and substances.

Official public page inspected

Great Britain; DSEAR 2002 context

Combustible dust needs a fire/explosion scope check

HSE identifies combustible-material extraction, including wood dust, as a process-fire precaution. DSEAR requires assessment and reduction of fire and explosion risks from dangerous substances.

Ask whether a separate competent fire/explosion assessment is needed and who supplies it. Routine LEV testing must not be advertised as a complete DSEAR assessment.

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UK occupational hygiene professional ecosystem

BOHS business listing and professional register differ

BOHS's service directory says entries include company-supplied expertise and that presence does not mean BOHS endorsement. Its separate professional register provides an individual-status checking route.

Check the named professional and relevant scope, rather than inferring endorsement from company membership or directory presence.

Official public page inspected

Additional source reference · bohs.org ↗

Additional source reference · login.bohs.org ↗

CIBSE professional information

Treat ILEVE evidence as scope- and date-specific

CIBSE's ILEVE page says ILEVE became dormant in April 2024, with a Workplace Exhaust Ventilation Group introduced. A retained competency-card page describes individual fields of expertise and expiry dates.

The retained card guidance does not establish that a provider's card is current or that new cards are being issued. Verify scope, expiry and present status directly with CIBSE. Do not present ILEVE as an active company approval scheme.

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Additional source reference · cibse.org ↗

BOHS public registration form

A legacy BOHS LEV directory application is still public

A public BOHS application page describes a qualified LEV tester/assessor directory, P600-series eligibility, a code-of-ethics commitment and a £25 yearly registration charge.

The page also displays a 2025 event. Current acceptance, public search availability, VAT and full terms were not established. Do not present this as a verified currently operating searchable alternative or a confirmed all-in current fee.

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