How to Choose a Competent LEV Tester (P601, P604 and What Your Report Must Show)

COSHH Regulation 9 requires your local exhaust ventilation to be thoroughly examined and tested by a competent person at least every 14 months. The law puts the duty on you, the employer, to arrange that test — but it does not hand you a list of approved testers. Choosing the right person is your responsibility, and a poor choice can leave you with a test that looks compliant on paper but does not actually prove your LEV controls exposure.

This guide explains what "competent" means for LEV testing, what the recognised qualifications are, and what a proper thorough examination and test report must contain — so you can tell a good tester from a tick-box one.

What "Competent" Means for LEV Testing

A thorough examination and test, or TExT, is not a quick visual once-over. HSG258 — the HSE's guide to LEV — describes the TExT as having three parts: a thorough examination of the system, measurements to check it is working as designed, and an assessment of whether it is adequately controlling exposure.

To do that properly, the person needs to understand how LEV works, how to take and interpret airflow and pressure measurements, how to judge whether capture is adequate for the contaminant, and how to relate all of that back to the exposure it is meant to control. That is a real technical skill set — not something a general maintenance visit covers.

The HSE does not licence or approve individual LEV testers. Instead, "competent" is judged on knowledge, training, and demonstrable experience. The most widely recognised way to evidence that competence is through the BOHS qualifications.

P601 and P604: The Recognised LEV Qualifications

The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) runs the recognised proficiency qualifications for LEV work.

P601 — Thorough Examination and Testing of LEV Systems. This is the qualification for the person who carries out the statutory TExT under COSHH Regulation 9. It is a Level 4 qualification in the BOHS framework, covering the knowledge and practical skill to examine, measure and assess LEV systems. Candidates have to demonstrate that they can competently carry out a thorough examination and test on real LEV systems to pass.

P604 — Performance Evaluation, Commissioning and Management of LEV Systems. This is a more advanced Level 5 qualification, for commissioning new or modified LEV systems and evaluating whether they have been designed properly. P604 builds on P601 — you must already hold P601 before you can take it.

When you are choosing someone to carry out your statutory 14-month test, P601 is the qualification to look for. P604 indicates a higher level of expertise, useful when you are commissioning a new system rather than testing an existing one.

A qualification is strong evidence of competence, but it is not the only factor — experience with systems and contaminants similar to yours matters too. A tester who routinely works on the kind of LEV you operate will give you a more reliable assessment than someone applying a generic checklist.

What a Compliant TExT Report Must Show

The report is the proof that your test was done and what it found. A thin report — a pass/fail sticker and a date — is a warning sign. A proper TExT report, in line with HSG258, should contain:

• Identification of the system — what it is, where it is, what process and contaminant it controls
• The date of the examination and the name and qualification of the person who carried it out
• A description of what was examined — hoods, ducting, air cleaner, fan, discharge
• The measurements taken — face and capture velocities, static pressures, airflow readings, compared against benchmark or design figures
• An assessment of whether the system is adequately controlling exposure, not just whether it is running
• Any defects found and the action needed to put them right
• The date by which the next test is due — within 14 months

If the report does not tell you whether your LEV is actually controlling exposure, it has not done its job — regardless of what the front page says.

Why This Matters: The Duty Stays With You

It is tempting to treat the test as the contractor's problem: they turn up, they test, they leave a certificate. But the legal duty to control exposure and to have a valid TExT stays with you, the employer. If an HSE inspector finds your LEV is not adequately controlling exposure — even though you hold a recent "pass" report — you are the one answerable.

That is why the quality of the tester and the report matters. A genuine thorough examination protects your workers and gives you evidence you can rely on. A box-ticking visit gives you a false sense of security.

Questions to Ask Before You Book

• Are your testers P601 qualified? Ask to see evidence.
• Have you tested LEV like ours before? Experience with your type of system and contaminant matters.
• What will the report contain? It should include measurements and an exposure-control assessment, not just a pass/fail.
• Will you tell us the next test due date? A good tester sets your next 14-month deadline.
• What happens if you find a defect? They should explain the problem and the remedial action, not just fail the system and leave.

Keeping Track After the Test

Once you have a good test and a proper report, the next challenge is not losing track of it. You need to:

• Keep the TExT report for at least five years
• Know when the next 14-month deadline falls for every system
• Carry out and record user checks between tests
• Act on, and evidence, any defect remediation the report identified

For a single LEV unit this is manageable on paper. With several systems on different test cycles, it becomes easy to miss a deadline — and a missed deadline is one of the most common LEV inspection failures. The LEV testing due date calculator works out the next deadline for each system, and the record-keeping requirements checker confirms what you are required to keep.

LEVproof is being built to help UK businesses manage LEV compliance after the test is done — storing reports, tracking the 14-month cycle for every system, and reminding you before each deadline. Join the waitlist for early access.

Sources

• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) — legislation.gov.uk
• HSG258: Controlling airborne contaminants at work — HSE
• P601 — Thorough Examination and Testing of LEV Systems — BOHS
• P604 — Performance Evaluation, Commissioning and Management of LEV Systems — BOHS
• LEV guidance for employers — HSE

This guide summarises published HSE and government guidance. It does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation.