COSHH 2002 · LEV

Shot Blast Booth Thorough Examination

Independent thorough examination and test of your shot blast booth as local exhaust ventilation, by a P601 qualified engineer.

A shot blast room fills with dust the moment the nozzle opens, and the operator works inside it, which is why this booth is tested harder and more often than most. We carry out LEV testing of shot blast rooms and booths under COSHH, measuring the airflow and clearance that make the enclosure safe to occupy.

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  • Independent and impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
Often 6 monthlyHigh dust blasting is a Schedule 4 process tested more often than 14 months
Operator insideThe person works within the contaminant, so airflow and clearance are critical
P601Examined by BOHS P601 competent engineer surveyors
HSG258Airflow, ventilation pattern and clearance measured to the HSE benchmarks
Extraction we test

Why your shot blast booth needs LEV testing

A shot blast booth, or blast room, is a walk in enclosure where the operator directs an abrasive stream at the workpiece from inside the space. Abrasive blasting produces a great deal of dust, including metals and metal oxides, and the operator stands in the middle of it, so the ventilation is not a nicety at the edge of the process, it is the thing keeping the breathing zone survivable while the nozzle is open.

Because the dust load is so high and the operator is inside it, abrasive blasting sits among the higher risk processes that COSHH treats more strictly than ordinary LEV. Where a typical extraction system is tested at least every 14 months, a busy blast room is commonly examined every 6 months, and the test has to prove the ventilation pattern, the cross draught or down draught velocity and the clearance time after blasting, not just that a fan is turning.

Walk in blast rooms
Cross draught booths
Down draught blast rooms
Abrasive recovery systems
Dust collectors and cyclones
Extract fans and ducting
Filter banks
Room clearance and air change
How it works

How we test your shot blast booth

Our P601 engineer surveyor measures the room's ventilation pattern and air velocity against its design and the HSG258 benchmarks, checks the down draught or cross draught distribution across the working space, times the clearance after blasting stops, examines the dust collector, filters and recovery system, and verifies the extract fan duty and any interlocks, recording the measured data at each point.

  • 1

    Measure the ventilation the operator stands in

    Air velocity and the draught pattern across the working space are measured, because the operator's breathing zone depends on them.

  • 2

    Time the clearance

    How fast the room clears after blasting stops decides when it is safe to unmask. Clearance is timed, not assumed.

  • 3

    Report and set the date

    The LEV test report records measured data, a verdict, photographs and the next date, often 6 monthly for a busy room, filed in your SEIS portal.

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • P601 surveyors who know blast rooms carry a shorter interval
  • Ventilation pattern and clearance measured, not just fan running confirmed
  • Recovery, collector and filter condition examined as one system
  • Reports and interval reminders through the SEIS client portal
What we test

Shot blast booth: what a thorough examination and test covers

Ventilation pattern

A blast room needs even draught across the whole working space, not a strong pull at one wall. The distribution is measured across the room, not at a single point.

Clearance time

The dwell before the air clears enough to unmask is a safety number. We time the clearance after blasting stops and compare it against the design.

Dust collector and filters

A loaded collector chokes the whole room's ventilation. Filter loading, cleaning cycles and housing integrity are examined at the collector.

Abrasive recovery

Recovery floors and screw systems raise their own dust and jam. The recovery system is examined as part of the ventilation picture, not separately.

Extract fan duty

The fan sets every velocity in the room, and it drifts as it wears and the filters load. Its duty is measured against design rather than taken on trust.

Air inlets and make up

A sealed room cannot extract what it cannot replace. Inlets, louvres and make up air paths are checked so the extract can actually move air.

Intervals and certification

How often, and what you receive

Every shot blast booth receives an LEV test report under COSHH Regulation 9, prepared by a P601 competent person against the HSG258 benchmarks. It records the measured air velocities and ventilation pattern, the timed clearance, the condition of the collector, filters and recovery, a pass or fail verdict, photographs and the next test date, which for a high dust blast room is commonly 6 months. All reports are held in your SEIS client portal for audits and insurers.

14 monthsThe usual maximum interval for a thorough examination and test
MeasuredAirflow and capture tested at every hood, not just the fan
P601Examined by an engineer qualified in LEV testing
ReportedMeasured data and any remedial actions, in writing

You receive an LEV test report with the measured performance and any remedial actions, the record COSHH requires.

Full statutory cover

Part of our full COSHH inspection service

Shot blast booth is one of the many kinds of equipment we cover. We inspect the full range, across every sector, as an independent provider, one item or a whole site, anywhere in the UK.

See our full COSHH inspection service
Other services

Other statutory inspections we carry out

Many sites run more than one regime. We can examine all of it, under one independent provider.

LOLER inspectionThorough examination and certification of lifting equipment and accessories. PUWER inspectionInspection of work equipment against the five PUWER duties, with a written record. PSSR examinationWritten Schemes and certified examination of pressure systems.
COSHH FAQs

Shot blast booth testing: common questions

How often must a shot blast booth be LEV tested?
The COSHH maximum is 14 months, but abrasive blasting is a high dust process that is commonly examined every 6 months because the risk is so high. The right interval is set from the risk and stated in the report.
Why is a blast room tested more often than other extraction?
Because the dust load is extreme and the operator works inside the contaminant. Higher risk processes are treated more strictly under COSHH, and a busy blast room typically falls into the shorter interval bracket.
What does the test actually measure?
The ventilation pattern and air velocity across the working space, the clearance time after blasting, and the condition of the collector, filters and recovery, all against the HSG258 benchmarks and the room's design.
What is the difference between a booth and a cabinet?
A booth or room is a walk in enclosure the operator works inside, which is what this page covers. A bench top cabinet the operator reaches into from outside is a different machine, covered on our shot blast cabinet thorough examination page.
Do you examine the dust collector too?
Yes. The collector, its filters and the abrasive recovery are part of the ventilation system, and a loaded collector chokes the whole room, so they are examined together rather than in isolation.
Who is qualified to test a blast room?
A competent person meeting the HSG258 criteria, which the HSE links to BOHS training such as P601. Our LEV surveyors hold that competence and understand the shorter interval blasting attracts.
Where do these duties come from?
From COSHH 2002, with the examination duty in Regulation 9 and the method in HSG258. HSE guidance on LEV examination sets out the requirement, and our COSHH regulations guide explains the test, intervals and records.
How do I book a shot blast booth examination?
Call 0330 043 8191 or use the contact form. If you also run the compressed air side, the blast pot is a pressure system covered by our abrasive blast pot thorough examination, and we can attend to both.

Is your shot blast booth due an LEV test?

Talk to an engineer surveyor, get a quote and book your inspection anywhere in the UK.

0330 043 8191 Request a quote