LEV Examination Report Template: What Your TExT Report Must Include

Your LEV examination report is the document that proves compliance. When an HSE inspector asks whether your local exhaust ventilation has been thoroughly examined and tested, this report is your answer. If it's incomplete, missing required information, or doesn't meet the standards set out in HSG258, it may not count — regardless of how good the actual examination was.

This article explains what a TExT examination report must contain, how to read one, and what to do with it once you have it.

What the Law Requires

COSHH Regulation 9 requires that every thorough examination and test of an LEV system is recorded. The record must be kept for at least 5 years. HSG258, Chapter 9 sets out the specific information the report should contain.

This isn't a suggestion. An examination without a proper report is, from a compliance standpoint, an examination that didn't happen. You need the document, and it needs to be complete.

Required Report Contents

HSG258 specifies what a competent examiner should record. A complete TExT report includes the following elements.

Examiner details

The report must identify who carried out the examination. This means the examiner's name, their employer or organisation, and their qualifications or basis of competence. If the HSE queries the report, they need to be able to identify and contact the person who did the work.

Employer details

Your business name, site address, and the name of the person who commissioned the examination. This establishes which employer the report belongs to and which site the examination covered.

LEV system identification

A clear description of the LEV system examined. This should include the type of system (e.g., ducted extraction, fume arm, spray booth), its location within the premises, and any identifying reference numbers. If you have multiple LEV systems, each should be clearly distinguishable in the report.

Date of examination

The date the examination was carried out. This is the date from which the 14-month clock starts running for the next examination.

Date of previous examination

The report should note when the system was last examined. This confirms continuity — that there isn't a gap in the examination schedule.

Condition of the system

A section-by-section assessment of the LEV system's physical condition. This typically covers:

Hoods and capture points — condition, positioning, damage, wear
Ductwork — integrity, leaks, corrosion, dust accumulation, damper positions
Air cleaning device — filter condition, collector capacity, seals, housing integrity
Fan — condition, mounting, belt tension (for belt-driven fans), vibration, noise
Discharge — exhaust condition, weather protection, recirculation arrangements if applicable

Test results

Quantitative measurements taken during the examination. These are the numbers that demonstrate whether the system is performing adequately:

Face velocities or capture velocities at hoods and capture points (measured in m/s)
Duct transport velocities to confirm dust is being carried without settling
Static pressures at key points in the system (measured in Pa)
Airflow volumes (measured in m³/s or l/s)

These measurements should be compared against the system's original commissioning data or design specifications if available. Without baseline figures, the examiner must judge whether the measured values indicate adequate performance based on HSG258 guidance and their professional experience.

Defects found

Every defect, fault, or problem identified during the examination must be recorded. This includes physical damage, poor performance, incorrect setup, missing components, and any condition that reduces the system's ability to control exposure.

Defects should be described clearly enough that someone acting on the report can understand what's wrong and where.

Recommendations

The examiner's recommendations for remedial action. These should be specific and prioritised — what needs immediate attention, what should be addressed before the next TExT, and what constitutes a longer-term improvement.

Compliance statement

A clear statement of whether, in the examiner's opinion, the LEV system is in efficient working order and providing adequate control. This is the bottom line of the report. It tells you — and the HSE — whether the system passes or fails.

Next examination date

The date by which the next TExT must be carried out. This will be no more than 14 months from the current examination date, though the examiner may specify a shorter interval if they have concerns about the system's condition or performance.

The HSE Standard Forms: P601 and P604

The HSE publishes standard report forms designed for TExT examinations:

P601 — used for the initial TExT of a newly commissioned LEV system. This form captures commissioning data (design airflows, target capture velocities) alongside the examination findings. The commissioning data becomes the baseline against which all future examinations are compared.
P604 — used for subsequent TExT examinations. This form records the current examination findings and compares them against the baseline data established in the P601.

Not all examiners use these exact forms. Some use their own report formats. That's acceptable, provided the report contains all the information HSG258 requires. However, the P601/P604 format is widely recognised and structured to ensure nothing gets missed. If your examiner uses a different format, check it against the required contents listed above to confirm it's complete.

How to Read Your TExT Report

When you receive your examination report, don't file it unread. Go through it systematically.

Check the basics. Confirm the date, the site address, and the system identification are correct. Errors in these details can cause problems if the report is later queried by the HSE.

Read the condition assessment. The section-by-section condition assessment tells you the physical state of your LEV. Look for anything noted as damaged, worn, deteriorated, or not functioning correctly. Each of these is a maintenance action you need to take.

Review the measurements. If your system has previous TExT reports, compare the current measurements against historic values. A declining trend in capture velocities or airflow volumes indicates the system is deteriorating, even if current values are still within acceptable ranges. Catching the trend early prevents a failure at the next examination.

Read the defects section carefully. This is where the examiner lists what's wrong. Every defect listed needs action. Some may be urgent. Others may be longer-term. But none should be ignored. An unaddressed defect in your report is evidence that you knew about a problem and didn't fix it — exactly the kind of finding that escalates an HSE inspection from routine to serious.

Check the compliance statement. Does the examiner consider the system to be in efficient working order? If the answer is no, or if it's qualified with conditions, you need to act immediately.

Note the next examination date. Record this date in your compliance calendar. The LEV testing due date calculator can help you track deadlines for all your systems.

What to Do With Your Report

Store it properly

COSHH requires you to keep TExT reports for at least 5 years. Store them where they're secure, accessible, and won't be lost or damaged. A filing cabinet in a dusty workshop is not ideal. Digital storage — scanned copies backed up to the cloud — is more reliable. See our guide on paper vs digital LEV records for more on this.

Use the record-keeping requirements checker to confirm your storage arrangements meet COSHH requirements.

Act on recommendations

If the report includes recommendations, work through them. Create a remedial action plan with deadlines. Record what was done and when. This creates evidence of responsive management — exactly what you want to demonstrate if the HSE ever reviews your records.

Schedule the next TExT

Don't wait until the 14-month deadline is approaching. Book the next examination well in advance. Competent examiners get busy. Leaving it late risks an overdue examination — which is a breach of COSHH Regulation 9.

Share findings with your team

If the report identifies problems or changes in how the LEV should be used, communicate that to the people who use the system daily. User checks between formal examinations are more effective when staff know what the last TExT found and what to watch for.

Red Flags in Your TExT Report

Some findings demand urgent action. Watch for:

"System not providing adequate control." This means the LEV isn't doing its job. Workers may be overexposed. You need to fix the system or provide alternative protection immediately.
Capture velocities significantly below design values. The system has lost performance. Find out why — blocked filters, damaged ductwork, worn fan belts — and fix it.
Ductwork damage or leaks. Leaking ductwork means contaminants are escaping into the workplace instead of reaching the air cleaner.
Filter failure or bypass. If the air cleaning device isn't working properly, contaminated air may be discharged where it shouldn't be — either back into the workplace or into the environment.
Missing or disconnected components. Hoods that have been removed, flexible connections that have come apart, dampers stuck in the wrong position. These indicate the system has been modified or neglected since the last examination.
Shorter recommended retest interval. If the examiner recommends retesting in less than 14 months, they have concerns about the system's reliability. Take that seriously.

Building a Compliance History

Over time, your collection of TExT reports builds a compliance history for each LEV system. This history has real value. It shows the HSE that your systems are being managed proactively. It gives each new examiner a baseline to work from. It helps you spot deterioration trends before they become failures.

Keep every report. Organise them by system. Make them easy to find and produce on demand.

LEVproof is being built to store your TExT reports, track deadlines, and manage your LEV compliance records digitally. 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
LEV guidance for employers — HSE
Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) guidance — HSE
COSHH main page — 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.