The Institute of Local Exhaust Ventilation Engineers (ILEVE) was established in 2011 as a body dedicated to promoting the science, understanding and practice of local exhaust ventilation (LEV) engineering, operating under the umbrella of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).
According to CIBSE, following a comprehensive strategic review and consultation with the ILEVE membership, overseen by the CIBSE Board, the decision was made to transition ILEVE to dormant status in April 2024. CIBSE has introduced the Workplace Exhaust Ventilation Group to extend its impact in this area. Full details are available on the CIBSE website.
Since its establishment, ILEVE worked to raise awareness of the importance of effective ventilation systems, providing guidance and resources for those involved in designing, installing, commissioning and testing LEV equipment, including its own member competency card scheme and technical publications such as TR40, a guide to good practice for local exhaust ventilation.
ILEVE’s transition to dormant status is an organisational change to a professional institute — it does not alter the underlying legal framework that governs local exhaust ventilation in the UK. The duty to control exposure to hazardous substances under the COSHH Regulations 2002, the design, commissioning and testing principles set out in the HSE’s HSG258 guidance, and the requirement for a Thorough Examination and Test at least every 14 months, remain exactly as they were.
CIBSE’s introduction of the Workplace Exhaust Ventilation Group indicates that this area of work continues within CIBSE in a different form, rather than disappearing altogether.
Air Plants Dust Extraction designs, installs and commissions every system in line with current HSE guidance and COSHH requirements. This includes properly designed and verified Local Exhaust Ventilation, ATEX and CE certified equipment where required, and a regular programme of LEV Thorough Examination and Testing to keep systems compliant long after installation.
Our approach to LEV design and compliance is built around the underlying legal and technical requirements themselves — set out by the HSE and reflected in guidance such as HSG258.
