How Often Should LEV Be Tested? The 14-Month Rule Explained

Every 14 months — that's the maximum interval between thorough examinations for LEV systems under COSHH Regulation 9. But formal testing is only one part of the picture. Daily and weekly user checks are also your responsibility, and they're what keeps your system working properly between examinations.

Here's the full testing schedule, broken down by check type and LEV system.

The 14-Month TExT Cycle

COSHH Regulation 9 requires a thorough examination and test (TExT) of every LEV system at intervals not exceeding 14 months. This is a hard legal deadline — not a guideline, not a recommendation.

Why 14 months, not 12

The 14-month maximum gives a two-month buffer over an annual cycle. If your last TExT was in March, you have until the following May to complete the next one. This allows for practical scheduling issues — examiner availability, holiday periods, access constraints — without pushing you into immediate non-compliance.

That buffer isn't an invitation to delay. If you routinely schedule at 13-14 months, a single scheduling hiccup will put you in breach. Most well-managed businesses aim for roughly annual testing, using the extra two months as contingency only.

What triggers the clock

The 14-month count starts from the date on your most recent TExT report. If your LEV system has never been examined, the clock started when it was first put into service. A system that's been running for more than 14 months without a TExT is already overdue.

Can you test more frequently

Yes, and sometimes you should. The 14-month interval is a maximum, not a target. Your risk assessment may indicate shorter intervals for:

• Systems controlling highly toxic substances (carcinogens, respiratory sensitisers)
• LEV subject to heavy wear, corrosion, or abrasive dusts
• Systems in harsh environments (high humidity, temperature extremes)
• Systems where previous TExTs have found deterioration between cycles

Your competent examiner should advise on the right interval based on your specific circumstances.

What happens if you miss the deadline

You're in breach of COSHH Regulation 9 from the day after the 14-month window closes. The HSE doesn't send reminders. There's no grace period. If an inspector visits and your most recent TExT report is more than 14 months old, that's a compliance failure.

The HSE ran 4,000 targeted dust inspections in 2024/25. Overdue or missing TExT reports are a common finding. Enforcement responses range from improvement notices (fix it within a set timeframe) to prosecution for serious or repeated breaches. Fines for COSHH breaches can reach six figures.

Daily and Weekly User Checks

User checks are the routine inspections you carry out between formal TExT examinations. They don't replace TExT — they complement it. A system can develop problems within days of passing a formal test. A knocked hood, a torn filter bag, a slipped fan belt — none of these will wait 14 months.

What to check

The specifics vary by LEV type, but every user check should confirm:

• The system is switched on and running
• Airflow is present at each capture point (use a tissue, smoke tube, or your hand)
• No visible dust, fume, or vapour is escaping the capture zone
• Ductwork is intact with no obvious gaps or damage
• Filters and collectors aren't overloaded
• Any gauges or indicators read within normal range
• Flexible arms and hoods are positioned correctly

For a detailed checklist by LEV type, see our guide to user checks vs thorough examination, or use the free LEV compliance checklist generator to build one tailored to your setup.

How long it takes

A daily user check takes 5-10 minutes for most single-system setups. Multi-hood installations might take 15-20 minutes. This is a small time investment against the cost of an enforcement notice or, more importantly, an employee developing occupational lung disease.

Who can do it

Any employee with adequate training. The HSE's employer guidance specifies someone who understands how the system works, knows what to look for, and knows what action to take if they find a problem. No formal qualification is required.

Why it matters even with TExT

Less than half of companies with LEV systems regularly test them. Of those that do get TExT done, many assume that annual examination is enough. It isn't.

A TExT confirms the system works on one specific day. User checks confirm it's working every day. Between TExT visits, components wear, settings drift, and working practices change. Daily checks catch problems when they're small and cheap to fix, rather than when they've developed into performance failures that put workers at risk.

Testing Frequency by LEV Type

Different LEV systems have different demands. This table gives a practical summary of testing frequency based on HSG258 guidance and common industry practice.

LEV type	TExT frequency	User check frequency	Key check points
Dust extraction (woodworking)	Every 14 months max	Daily	Capture velocity at hoods, dust deposits, filter/bag condition, static pressure
Fume hoods / cupboards (labs)	Every 14 months max	Daily when in use	Face velocity, sash operation, internal obstructions, alarms
Spray booth ventilation (automotive)	Every 14 months max	Daily when in use	Airflow direction, filter condition, booth seals, manometer reading
Kitchen extraction	Every 14 months max	Weekly	Grease filter condition, airflow at capture point, ductwork access points
Dental suction	Every 14 months max	Daily	Suction at each handpiece, hose condition, filter/separator function
Nail bar ventilation	Every 14 months max	Daily	Suction at each station, hose and nozzle condition, filter cleanliness
Welding fume extractors	Every 14 months max	Daily	Capture at extraction arm, arm positioning, filter condition, airflow indicator

Note: the 14-month TExT interval applies uniformly across all LEV types under COSHH Regulation 9. There's no exemption for "simple" systems. A single nail bar extraction unit has the same formal testing requirement as a multi-hood woodworking dust extraction system.

How to Track Your Testing Schedule

This is where most businesses struggle. Use our free LEV testing due date calculator to work out exactly when each system's next TExT is due. The 14-month cycle doesn't align with the calendar year, so you can't just mark "LEV test" in January every year and forget it. If your last test was in September, your deadline is the following November — and it shifts by a few days each cycle depending on when you actually schedule the examination.

Add multiple LEV systems, each with different test dates, and tracking becomes genuinely difficult.

Common approaches

Paper diary or wall planner. Simple, but easy to miss. If the person who tracks it is off sick or on holiday near the deadline, things slip.

Spreadsheet. Better — you can set up formulas to calculate the 14-month deadline from each test date and flag upcoming deadlines. But spreadsheets don't send you reminders, and they depend on someone actively checking them.

Calendar reminders. Setting alerts 8 weeks, 4 weeks, and 2 weeks before each TExT deadline gives you time to book an examiner. This works well for one or two systems. For larger estates, managing dozens of calendar entries becomes its own administrative burden.

Digital compliance tools. Purpose-built tools can automate deadline tracking, store TExT reports and user check records in one place, and send reminders before deadlines approach. This is the direction the industry is moving — especially for businesses managing multiple LEV systems across multiple sites.

The record-keeping side

Whatever approach you use to track deadlines, remember that the records themselves need keeping for 5 years minimum. That includes both TExT reports from your competent examiner and your internal user check logs. The COSHH regulations require you to produce these records on request, so they need to be accessible — not buried in a filing cabinet behind the workshop or saved on someone's personal laptop.

Never Miss a Deadline

Tracking 14-month cycles across multiple LEV systems, storing 5 years of records, and keeping everything audit-ready — this is exactly the problem LEVproof will solve. A digital logbook built for UK LEV compliance. Join the waitlist to get early access.

Sources

• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) — legislation.gov.uk
• HSG258: Controlling airborne contaminants at work — HSE
• LEV guidance for employers — HSE
• COSHH main page — HSE
• Work-related lung disease — 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.