Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Canopy Install SWMS

Installing a commercial kitchen exhaust canopy is a multi-trade HVAC task that combines structural mounting at height, sheet-metal ductwork penetrations through fire-rated assemblies, hot works on stainless steel and galvanised duct, fire damper integration, and final commissioning tie-ins to gas-fired cooking appliances below. The work routinely occurs above hot cookline equipment, near energised electrical infeeds, and within congested ceiling spaces shared with sprinkler and gas reticulation services. Under WHS Regulation 2011 r291, any work at heights above 2 metres, any hot works in an occupied or fit-out building, and any work involving energised gas services are classified High Risk Construction Work, each independently requiring a documented SWMS prepared in consultation with workers before work commences. Principal contractors must also satisfy r299 record-keeping and r300 review-on-incident duties. This SWMS captures the cumulative risk profile of canopy installation in one consolidated, site-editable document aligned to AS 1668.1, AS 1668.2 and AS 1851 fire damper commissioning requirements.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Elimination — Pre-fabricate canopy sections, duct spools and hanger rod assemblies offsite in workshop to eliminate overhead welding and trimming inside the occupied tenancy wherever practicable.
2. 2Elimination — Schedule all installation works outside trading hours so live cooking appliances below are cold, isolated and de-greased, removing the ignition source under the hot work zone.
3. 3Substitution — Replace site stick-welding of stainless duct with mechanical Nordfab-style clamped joints or factory-flanged TDF connections to substitute lower-energy joining methods.
4. 4Substitution — Use battery-powered shears and nibblers in place of abrasive cut-off wheels to reduce sparks, noise and hot ejecta near combustibles and ceiling insulation.
5. 5Engineering — Erect compliant mobile scaffold or scissor lift rated to AS 1418.10 with toeboards and mid-rails; install welding screens and 1.8 m non-combustible blanket below all hot works.
6. 6Engineering — Apply LOTO to gas isolation valve upstream of cookline and prove zero pressure with calibrated manometer before any interlock wiring or solenoid termination per AS/NZS 5601.1.
7. 7Administrative — Issue daily Hot Work Permit with 60-minute fire watch post-completion, brief SWMS at pre-start, and verify high-risk licences (EWP, gas work authorisation, welding) before access.
8. 8Administrative — Implement two-person team lift protocol for canopy panels above 25 kg using mechanical hoist or genie lift; rotate tasks every 90 minutes to manage fatigue and fume dose.
9. 9PPE — Mandatory Class P2 powered air-purifying respirator for stainless welding, AS/NZS 1337 medium-impact safety glasses with side shields, AS/NZS 2210.3 safety boots, cut-5 gloves and FR welding jacket.
10. 10PPE — Twin-tail shock-absorbing harness to AS/NZS 1891.1 anchored to certified point when working from EWP at full extension above the cookline or near unprotected ceiling penetrations.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

On a suburban hotel bistro refurbishment, the mechanical foreman opens this SWMS at the 6:30 am pre-start brief with a four-person crew: one EWP-licensed installer, one TIG welder, one gas-authorised technician and an apprentice. Walking through the hazard register on the tablet, the welder flags that the original plan to weld the stainless return duct on site sits directly above a timber-framed servery soffit — a Priority 1 hot works hazard. The crew applies the substitution control from the SWMS, switching to a Nordfab clamped joint for that section and reserving welding only for the rooftop spool, which is moved outside the building line. The gas technician confirms LOTO on the upstream isolation valve, signs the gas isolation checklist embedded in the SWMS, and tags the valve. The EWP operator sets exclusion zones with bollards under the canopy lift path and the apprentice is assigned as fire watch with a 9 kg dry chem extinguisher for the rooftop weld. All four workers sign the SWMS sign-on register before tools come out. At 11 am, the site supervisor calls a stop when a sprinkler fitter enters the ceiling void overhead — the SWMS is reopened, a coordination control added in the live amendment box, both crews re-sign, and work resumes safely.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces CoP

Frequently asked questions