COSHH 2002 · LEV

Spray booth testing and examination

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

A spray booth controls two hazards at once. Its airflow has to sweep paint mist and solvent vapour away from the sprayer, and keep that vapour well below the level at which it could ignite. We measure the airflow where the work is done and check the filters that keep it moving.

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  • Independent and impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
Two hazardsControls exposure and keeps vapour below ignition
Measured at the workAirflow taken at the spraying position
Filters firstLoaded filters are the usual cause of lost airflow
Every 14 monthsThe COSHH maximum for most booths
Extraction we test

Why your spray booth needs LEV testing

A spray booth is local exhaust ventilation on the scale of a room. Air is drawn across the booth so that paint mist and solvent vapour are swept off the work and the sprayer towards a filter wall or water wash, then to a safe discharge. Because the sprayer stands in that moving air, the velocity at the spraying position is what decides whether the booth is controlling exposure, and that is the figure the thorough examination and test is built around.

The same airflow has a second job. Solvent vapour is flammable, and the booth keeps it diluted well below the level at which it could ignite, which brings the booth under DSEAR as well as COSHH. When the filters load up the airflow falls, and that single fault raises the exposure and the fire risk together, so the test centres on the airflow at the working position and the condition of the filters that sustain it.

Airflow at the spraying position
Paint arrestor or water wash
Filter loading and replacement
Booth velocity gauge or alarm
Fan performance and balance
Ductwork and safe discharge
Make up air supply
Logbook and previous readings
How it works

How we test your spray booth

We measure the air velocity at the position the sprayer works in, against the figure the booth was designed to hold, commonly in the region of 0.3 to 0.5 metres per second at the breathing zone, because that is where control is won or lost. We check the paint arrestor filters or water wash, the make up air, the fan and the discharge, and confirm any booth velocity gauge or alarm reads true, so the warning the sprayer relies on can be trusted.

  • 1

    Measure at the work

    We take the air velocity where the sprayer stands, against the booth's design figure, not at an empty corner.

  • 2

    Check the filters

    Paint arrestor or water wash, make up air, fan and discharge, the things that keep the air moving.

  • 3

    Examine and record

    We confirm the gauge or alarm reads true, then label the booth and issue the report.

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • P601 qualified | An engineer qualified in LEV thorough examination and test.
  • Airflow where it counts | Velocity measured at the spraying position, the place that decides control.
  • Filters and gauges checked | The parts that fail first, and the warning the sprayer depends on, both confirmed.
  • Clear report | Readings, verdict and remedial work, written for an inspector or insurer.
What we test

Spray booth: what a thorough examination and test covers

One fault, two risks

A loaded filter cuts the airflow, which raises solvent exposure and pushes vapour towards the level where it could ignite. The booth that fails COSHH often fails DSEAR in the same breath.

The sprayer is the test point

Airflow read at an empty corner tells you little. The velocity that matters is the one in the moving air the sprayer actually stands in.

Filters are the first to go

Paint arrestor filters fill steadily and choke the airflow. They are the most common reason a booth that worked last year no longer holds its velocity.

Water wash or dry

A dry filter booth is judged on filter condition and replacement, a water wash booth on its wash flow and sludge. Each has its own way of losing performance quietly.

Trust the gauge, or do not

A booth velocity gauge or alarm is only protective if it reads true. A drifted gauge gives a sprayer false confidence that the air is moving when it is not.

Make up air matters

A booth cannot exhaust more than it is allowed to draw in. Starved of make up air, the velocity falls however hard the extract fan works.

Intervals and certification

How often, and what you receive

A spray booth in regular use is thoroughly examined and tested at least every fourteen months, and sooner where spraying is heavy or the materials are higher hazard. The test confirms the booth still moves air at the working position, against the figure it was commissioned to hold, and that its filters and discharge are sound.

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

Spray 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

Spray booth testing: common questions

How often does a spray booth need testing?
At least every fourteen months under COSHH Regulation 9, and sooner where spraying is heavy or the materials are higher hazard. The HSE sets the expectation in its guidance on local exhaust ventilation.
Where in the booth do you measure the airflow?
At the position the sprayer actually works in, against the figure the booth was designed to hold. A reading taken at an empty corner does not reflect the air the sprayer stands in.
Does the booth cover fire risk as well as health?
Yes. The airflow keeps flammable solvent vapour well below the level at which it could ignite, which brings the booth under DSEAR alongside COSHH, so a loss of airflow raises both risks together.
Why do the filters matter so much?
Paint arrestor filters load steadily and choke the airflow, which is the most common reason a booth stops holding its velocity. Filter condition is usually where a failing booth is caught.
Is a water wash booth tested differently from a dry filter one?
The principle is the same, the detail differs. A dry filter booth is judged on filter condition and replacement, a water wash booth on its wash flow and sludge condition.
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 on the booth. The duties behind it are set out in our guide to COSHH.
Do you check the booth velocity gauge or alarm?
Yes. A gauge or alarm is only protective if it reads true, so we confirm it, since a drifted gauge gives the sprayer false confidence that the air is moving.
How do I book a spray booth test?
Call us on 0330 043 8191 and we will arrange a visit, measure the booth at the working position and have your report with you within a few days.

Is your spray 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