COSHH 2002 · LEV

Receiving hood testing and examination

Independent thorough examination and test of your receiving hood as local exhaust ventilation, by a P601 qualified engineer.

A receiving hood does not pull a contaminant in, it catches what is already coming to it. A canopy over a hot tank works because the heat sends the fumes up into it, so the test is whether the hood draws more than the rising plume delivers. Position and airflow decide it.

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  • Independent and impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
Receiving, not capturingCatches contaminant arriving under its own momentum
Rising plumeA hot process sends fume up into the canopy
Out pull the plumeThe hood must draw more than the plume delivers
Position mattersCloseness and cross draughts make or break it
Extraction we test

Why your receiving hood needs LEV testing

Guidance on local exhaust ventilation divides hoods into three kinds, capturing, receiving and enclosing, and a receiving hood is the one positioned to catch a contaminant that is already moving towards it under its own momentum. The classic case is a canopy over a hot tank or furnace, where the heat lifts the fume up into the hood, or a hood placed in the path of particles thrown in a known direction. It works with the contaminant rather than against it.

That strength comes with a condition. A receiving hood only holds the contaminant if it draws away more air than the process delivers, so if the rising plume carries more than the hood takes, the surplus spills out around the rim and escapes. It also has to sit close, since a low canopy catches far more than a high one, and it is easily defeated by a cross draught that blows the plume out from under it. The test weighs the hood against the plume and checks that position and draughts are not quietly defeating it.

Airflow against the rising plume
Canopy position and height
Distance from the hot source
Cross draught and disturbance
Hood rim and overlap
Ductwork and fan performance
Discharge arrangement
Logbook and previous readings
How it works

How we test your receiving hood

We measure the airflow the hood draws and weigh it against the plume the hot process sends up, because a receiving hood fails the moment the plume delivers more than the hood takes away. We check the canopy sits close enough and overlaps the source, look for cross draughts that could blow the plume out from under it, and examine the ductwork, fan and discharge before recording the result.

  • 1

    Weigh hood against plume

    We measure the hood airflow against the rising plume, the balance that decides a receiving hood.

  • 2

    Check position and draughts

    We confirm the canopy sits close and overlaps the source, and look for cross draughts that defeat it.

  • 3

    Examine and record

    We examine the ductwork, fan and discharge, then label the hood and report.

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • P601 qualified | Tested by an engineer qualified in LEV thorough examination and test.
  • Plume against airflow | The balance a receiving hood lives or dies by, measured rather than assumed.
  • Position checked | Closeness, overlap and cross draughts, the things that defeat a canopy in practice.
  • Clear report | The readings, the verdict and any remedial work, written to act on.
What we test

Receiving hood: what a thorough examination and test covers

With the contaminant, not against it

A receiving hood catches fume already rising towards it. That is its strength over a capture hood, and the reason its airflow has only to out pace the plume, not drag the contaminant uphill.

Spill at the rim

If the plume delivers more air than the hood draws, the surplus rolls out around the rim and escapes. A canopy that looks generous can still be losing fume off every edge.

Low beats high

A canopy close to the source catches far more than one mounted high, where cross draughts and the spreading plume let fume slip past. Height is the quiet enemy of a receiving hood.

A draught across the bench

A receiving hood is easily defeated by a cross draught, an open door or a fan that blows the rising plume out from under the canopy before it is caught.

Leaning into the plume

A canopy over a hot process protects the room, but an operator who leans over the source draws the rising fume straight past their own face. Where people work close, a receiving hood may be the wrong choice.

It needs heat to work

A receiving canopy relies on the updraught from a hot process. Let the process cool, or the load drop, and the plume that carried the fume up no longer reaches the hood.

Intervals and certification

How often, and what you receive

A receiving hood controlling a hot or buoyant process is thoroughly examined and tested at least every fourteen months, and sooner where the process is higher hazard or a risk assessment calls for it. The test confirms the hood still draws more than the plume delivers, against the performance it was designed to give.

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

Receiving hood 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

Receiving hood testing: common questions

How often does a receiving hood need testing?
At least every fourteen months under COSHH Regulation 9, and sooner where the process is higher hazard or a risk assessment calls for it. The HSE sets the expectation in its guidance on local exhaust ventilation.
What is a receiving hood?
A hood positioned to catch a contaminant that is already moving towards it under its own momentum, most often a buoyant plume from a hot process rising up into a canopy.
How is it different from a capture hood?
A capture hood has to generate enough velocity at the source to drag the contaminant in against its motion. A receiving hood works with the contaminant, so it only has to draw away more than the plume delivers.
Why does the height of the canopy matter?
A low canopy catches far more than a high one. Mounted high, the rising plume spreads and cross draughts let fume slip past the edges, so height is the quiet enemy of a receiving hood.
Do draughts really affect it?
Very much. A cross draught, an open door or a nearby fan can blow the rising plume out from under the canopy before it is caught, which is why we look for them during the test.
What do I receive after the test?
An LEV test report with the measured airflow, the verdict and any remedial actions, plus a dated label. The duties behind it are set out in our guide to COSHH.
Can people work directly under it?
With care. A canopy protects the room, but anyone leaning over the hot source draws the rising fume past their own face, so where people work close a receiving hood may be the wrong choice.
How do I book a receiving hood test?
Call us on 0330 043 8191 and we will arrange a visit, weigh the hood against the plume and have your report with you within a few days.

Is your receiving hood 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