Cutting into grease duct without approval

Treat grease/special exhaust as red-zone work: cutting into grease duct without approval.

High-risk starter answer - treat grease duct, hood exhaust, kitchen exhaust, lab exhaust, and special exhaust as red-zone work. Unauthorized holes in grease/special exhaust can create fire, leakage, inspection, and liability problems.

Stop if

• Ask any time grease/special exhaust involves access, weld, wrap, slope, clearance, penetration, contaminant, or support questions.

Watch out

• Do not assume normal galvanized duct rules apply. Do not drill, screw, notch, tap, or cut into grease/special exhaust without approval.

Check

• Confirm whether this is grease duct, kitchen exhaust, lab exhaust, industrial exhaust, or normal exhaust.
• Check the approved drawings/spec/submittal.
• Look for cleanout/access, clearance, enclosure/wrap, weld/seal, slope/drainage, and inspection requirements.
• Verify whether any penetration or modification is allowed and who is qualified/responsible before touching it.

Steps

• Confirm the system is grease, kitchen exhaust, industrial exhaust, dust, or chemical/fume exhaust.
• Check approved detail for material, access, cleanouts, joints, wrap, slope, and support.
• Identify hot-work or fire-watch requirements.
• Focus on the actual issue: cutting into grease duct without approval.
• Photograph or mark the condition if someone else needs to approve it.

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