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Print a log book with your system's details on it
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What is inside
Eight pages, each based on HSE guidance or the law
Each page covers something HSE guidance or the COSHH Regulations ask you to record. Choose a page to preview it.
LEV log book
System details
System:
Use one log book for each LEV system. Keep it with the system's user manual, its commissioning report and its latest thorough examination and test report.
| Company | |
|---|---|
| Site address | |
| System name or ID number | |
| Where the system is (building, room or area) | |
| Process and substances it controls | |
| Hoods (how many, and what type) | |
| Designed and installed by | |
| Commissioning date and report reference | |
| Where the user manual is kept | |
| Person responsible for the system | |
| Months between thorough examinations and tests (14 at most) | |
| Date of the last thorough examination and test | |
| Next thorough examination and test due |
LEV log book
Check schedule
System:
Set out what to check on each part of the system, how often, and who checks it. Copy the checks and how often they are due from the system's user manual. The filled rows are HSE's examples.
| Part of the system | What to check | How often | Who checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoods | Airflow indicator reading, physical damage, blockages, clutter in the way | ||
| Ducts | Damage, wear and partial blockage, especially flexible ducts | ||
| Dampers | Still in the set position | ||
| Air cleaner or filter | Damage, pressure reading across the filter, failure alarms | ||
| Fan | Changes in noise or vibration, power use, clean impeller | ||
| Operators | Using the system correctly, for example hood position and the work kept inside the capture zone | ||
LEV log book
Daily check by the person using it
System:
Answer each question before use. Write Y for yes or N for no. If question 4 or 5 is a yes, or question 1, 2, 3 or 6 is a no, tell your supervisor straight away.
Week starting:
System name or ID:
| Question | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Does the indicator show the LEV is working properly? | |||||||
| 2. Is it taking away all the harmful dust, mist, fumes and gas? Remember, some of these may be invisible. | |||||||
| 3. Are you close enough to it so it can do its job properly? | |||||||
| 4. Are there any signs it is not working properly, like smells or settled dust? | |||||||
| 5. Are there any unusual noises or vibration coming from it? | |||||||
| 6. Has it been thoroughly tested, with a 'tested' label that is within date? | |||||||
| 7. Have you told your supervisor about anything you think may be wrong? | |||||||
| Initials |
LEV log book
Weekly check
System:
HSE's COSHH code of practice and guidance says LEV should be visually checked at least once a week. Write OK, or describe what you found.
| Date | Hoods | Airflow indicator reading | Ducts | Dampers | Filter pressure reading | Fan noise and vibration | Used correctly | Faults found and action taken | Name | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LEV log book
Maintenance, replacements and repairs
System:
Record every service, part replaced and repair, planned or not, and who did the work.
| Date | Part of the system | Work done | Planned or unplanned | Parts replaced | Done by (name and company) | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LEV log book
Faults and actions
System:
Record each fault found by a check or a test, what will put it right, and when it was done. COSHH requires a record of the repairs made as a result of each thorough examination and test.
| Date found | Fault | Found by | Action needed | Who will do it | Date done | Signed off by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LEV log book
Thorough examination and test record
System:
COSHH requires a thorough examination and test at least once every 14 months, or more often for the processes in its Schedule 4. Keep each full report, and the record of repairs that followed it, for at least five years, with a copy at the workplace.
| Test date | Examiner and company | Report reference | Hoods passed | Hoods failed | Critical faults | Repairs completed on | Next test due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LEV log book
Before the examiner visits
System:
HSE guidance lists what the examiner should use at each thorough examination and test, where it exists. Tick each one when it is ready.
Test booked for:
Examiner and company:
Contact on the day:
- Commissioning report
- User manual
- This log book
- Last thorough examination and test report
- Air sampling records, and notes on how operators use the system
- Confirmation that the system, the layout and the process have not changed since the last test, or a list of what changed
From HSG258
What HSE says a log book should contain
HSG258 is HSE's guide to local exhaust ventilation. Chapter 9 covers the user manual and the log book. HSE spells it logbook.
An LEV system logbook will contain schedules and forms to keep records of regular checking, maintenance and repair. The logbook contains:
HSG258, paragraph 318
- schedules for regular checks and maintenance;
- records of regular checks, maintenance, replacements and repairs;
- checks of compliance with the correct way of working with the LEV system;
- the name of the person who made these checks.
Paragraph 319 says the checklists should cover daily, weekly and monthly checks for each part of the system, with space to record the result of each check, a signature and the date. These are HSE's examples, part by part. Page 2 of the template starts from them.
| Part of the system | HSE's examples of what to check |
|---|---|
| Hoods | Airflow indicators, physical damage and blockages. Clutter obstructing the hood. |
| Ducts | Damage, wear and partial blockage. |
| Dampers | Position. |
| Air cleaner | Damage, static pressure across the cleaner, and failure alarms. |
| Air mover (fan) | Power consumption, and changes in noise or vibration. Keeping the impellers clean. |
| Operators | Whether they follow the correct procedures, for example hood position and keeping the work inside the capture zone. |
Source: HSE, HSG258 Controlling airborne contaminants at work, third edition, 2017, paragraphs 318 to 320.
Routine checks
Who checks, and how often
HSG258 says routine checks happen daily, weekly and monthly, and that a trained employee is able to make them. The system's user manual should say which checks are needed and how often. HSE's leaflet INDG408 gives this example of how the jobs can be shared:
| Who | What they do |
|---|---|
| Operator | Make daily checks, report faults |
| Safety or workers' representative | Make weekly, monthly checks |
| Supervisor | Make weekly checks, arrange repairs, correct deviations from the correct way of working, record findings and actions |
| Section manager | Identify problems, receive regular reports from the supervisor, be responsible for maintenance and testing |
| Works engineer | Repair faults, carry out maintenance, arrange thorough examination |
HSE's COSHH code of practice and guidance (L5) adds that LEV should be visually checked at least once a week. Page 3 of the template is HSE's own daily checklist for the person using the system, and page 4 is a weekly check sheet.
The law
Is an LEV log book a legal requirement?
Not by name. The legal duties are in regulation 9 of the COSHH Regulations. Where LEV controls exposure to a hazardous substance, you must keep it in efficient working order and good repair, and have it thoroughly examined and tested at least once every 14 months, or more often for the processes in Schedule 4.
Regulation 9 also requires a written record:
Every employer shall keep a suitable record of the examinations and tests carried out in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3) and of repairs carried out as a result of those examinations and tests, and that record or a suitable summary thereof shall be kept available for at least 5 years from the date on which it was made.
COSHH Regulations 2002, regulation 9(4)
The log book itself comes from HSE guidance. HSG258 says following its guidance is not compulsory, but that doing so will normally be enough to comply with the law, and that inspectors may refer to it. HSE's leaflet INDG408 says to keep a record of all LEV checks and maintenance in the log book "to show that it has been done and that the LEV is working as well as it should be".
How long to keep the records
- Thorough examination and test reports, and the record of repairs that followed: at least five years, under COSHH regulation 9(4). HSG258 adds that a copy should be at the workplace.
- The log book: HSE suggests at least five years as well, in INDG408.
- Information on the installed system that confirms it gives adequate protection: for the life of the equipment, says HSE's LEV questions page.
Getting ready
What to have ready for the examiner
HSG258 lists what the examiner should use at each thorough examination and test, where it exists:
- The commissioning report
- The user manual
- The log book
- The last thorough examination and test report
- Any air sampling records, and information on how operators use the LEV
- Confirmation that the LEV, the layout and the process have not changed since the last test
Page 8 of the template turns this into a checklist.
No log book for an older system?
HSG258 says to ask the manufacturer first. If that does not work, an LEV specialist such as a consultant engineer or occupational hygienist can prepare the documents. If none of the documents exist, you can ask the examiner to carry out a commissioning report as well, at a cost you agree with them.
Is a test coming up?
Tell us how many systems you have and we send your request to up to three testers who cover your site. Paid listings come first, then the nearest.
Common questions
LEV log book questions
Is an LEV log book a legal requirement?
Not by name. COSHH regulation 9 requires LEV to be maintained and thoroughly examined and tested at least every 14 months, with a record kept of each test and the repairs that followed. The log book comes from HSE guidance, HSG258, which inspectors may refer to.
How often should LEV be checked?
HSG258 describes daily, weekly and monthly routine checks, set out in the log book. HSE's COSHH code of practice and guidance says LEV should be visually checked at least once a week. A thorough examination and test is due at least every 14 months.
Who can fill in the log book?
HSG258 says a trained employee is able to make routine checks. Each entry should give the name of the person who made the check. Record maintenance, replacements and repairs in it too.
How long should I keep an LEV log book?
HSE suggests at least five years. That matches the thorough examination and test records, which COSHH requires you to keep for at least five years.
Is this template free to use?
Yes. Download it, copy it and change it to suit your system. There is no sign-up and LevHQ does not ask for your email address.
Sources
Opened and checked on 21 October 2026.
- HSE, HSG258 Controlling airborne contaminants at work, third edition, 2017
- HSE, INDG408 Clearing the air, revised January 2016
- HSE, INDG409 Time to clear the air! A workers' pocket guide to LEV
- The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, regulation 9
- HSE, L5 Control of substances hazardous to health, Approved Code of Practice and guidance, sixth edition, 2013
- HSE, LEV frequently asked questions
Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence.