The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations requires local exhaust ventilation systems to be maintained to a standard suitable for their purpose.

If routine maintenance is neglected extract efficiency will deteriorate and mechanical parts could be liable to fail. As a minimum, the manufacturer or supplier’s recommendations should be used as a guide to the maintenance regime. Manufacturer's / supplier's of LEV systems must provide the University with this type of information at the time of installation.

Departments should draw up maintenance procedures to cover a full range of activities, from simple visual checks for defects to preventative maintenance and remediation.

The Estates Department manage a contract for maintenance of University LEV systems and for statutory examination and testing. Departments need to notify Estates of any new system to ensure that it is incorporated into the 14 calendar month statutory testing regime.

Departments must ensure that there are suitable arrangements in place for the disposal of material collected by filters or other air cleaning devices. In the case of wet scrubbers, for example, where collection media may be contaminated with solvents or corrosive materials, waste may not be discharged into drains, but should be disposed of via the Department's hazardous waste disposal route.

Most filters used in local exhaust ventilation systems will, due to their very nature, require particular handling and care, with disposal being via the appropriate hazardous waste disposal route.

With any maintenance plan, suitable records must be maintained by a named responsible person. Any maintenance records should be held in the vicinity of the LEV system or should be made available for inspection by users or other personnel who may wish to inspect or carry out work on the system.