What is Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)?

What is Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)?

LEV is an engineering control system to reduce exposures to airborne contaminants such as dust, mist, fume, vapour or gas in a workplace. Most systems, but not all, have the following:

• Hood: This is where the contaminant cloud enters the LEV.
• Ducting: This conducts air and the contaminant from the hood to the discharge point.
• Air cleaner or arrestor: This filters or cleans the extracted air. Not all systems need air cleaning.
• Air mover: The ‘engine’ that powers the extraction system, usually a fan.
• Discharge: This releases the extracted air to a safe place.