Start hereRules checked 20 October 2026
On the morning of 21 August 1998, the cruise ship Edinburgh Castle was on passage from Lisbon to Liverpool with 1,000 passengers and 500 crew. A fire patrol found a fire in the main galley, at a group of three deep-fat fryers. The power contactor of one fryer had welded closed, so the heating never switched off; the fat overheated and ignited. The fire spread into the ventilation ducting. It took several attempts with portable extinguishers, the automatic sprinklers and the steam smothering system in the duct, and one hour, to put it out. The galley’s fire detection loop had been shut down, and nobody could tell from the drawings or labels which damper control served which duct.
Galleys combine everything a fire needs: hot oil, grease-coated ducts that act as a chimney, and people working fast. SOLAS treats the fryer and the exhaust duct as fire hazards in their own right, each with its own fixed protection. This lesson shows what they are and how to keep them working.
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In this lesson
- Galley walk-round on a cargo ship built in 2018
- In plain words
- In detail
- What the rules say
- Flag and class notes
- Key numbers
- What inspectors find
- Quiz: 6 questions
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Galley walk-round on a cargo ship built in 2018
In plain words
A galley has two separate fire risks.
The deep-fat fryer holds litres of oil heated close to its ignition point. If the thermostat fails and the heat stays on, the oil reaches its auto-ignition temperature and bursts into flame. Water makes it explode in a fireball. So the fryer has two thermostats (if one fails, the other cuts the heat and an alarm sounds), plus its own small fixed fire-extinguishing system, usually a wet chemical that turns the oil surface into a soapy crust, or another agent tested for cooking oil fires. When the system fires, it also cuts the fryer’s power.
The exhaust duct above the range carries hot, greasy air out of the ship. Over weeks, grease condenses inside it. If a flame gets into the duct, the grease burns like a fuse, and the duct can carry fire through cabins and corridors. So the duct has grease filters and a grease trap that are cleaned often, fire dampers that slam shut, a fixed extinguishing system inside the duct, fan stops, and hatches so it can be inspected and cleaned.
Most galley fires start with something the crew can see: a dirty filter, a fault light that was reset, a release handle hidden behind boxes. The daily and monthly checks are the real protection.
In detail
The exhaust duct: SOLAS II-2/9.7.5
The rules changed for ships built on or after 1 January 2016, when resolution MSC.365(93) replaced the ventilation requirements of SOLAS II-2/9.7. Ships built earlier keep the rules in force when they were built.
| Requirement | Passenger ships > 36 passengers | Cargo ships and passenger ships ≤ 36 passengers |
|---|---|---|
| Duct construction | Steel to 9.7.2.4.2.1 and .2, insulated A-60 through accommodation, service spaces and control stations | Steel to 9.7.2.4.1.1 and .2 (A class) where passing through accommodation or spaces with combustible materials |
| Grease removal | Grease trap readily removable for cleaning, or an approved alternative grease removal system | Grease trap readily removable for cleaning |
| Fire dampers | Automatically and remotely operated damper at the lower end at the junction with the range hood, plus a remotely operated damper at the upper end close to the outlet | Same |
| Fixed extinguishing in duct | Required | Required |
| Fan stops and remote controls | Remote controls for exhaust and supply fans, dampers and the extinguishing system, outside the galley close to its entrance; branch closures for multi-branch systems | Fan stops operable from within the galley |
| Inspection and cleaning hatches | Including one near the exhaust fan and one at the lower end where grease accumulates | Hatches near fire dampers (9.7.1.4) |
The damper at the lower end of the galley duct does not need to pass the Fire Test Procedures (FTP) Code test, but it must be of steel and able to stop the draught in the duct.
For ships built between 1 July 2002 and 31 December 2015, cargo ships needed a grease trap, a fire damper at the lower end, fan stops operable from within the galley and fixed means of extinguishing a fire in the duct.
The deep-fat fryer: SOLAS II-2/10.6.4
Every deep-fat cooking appliance must have:
- an automatic or manual fire-extinguishing system tested to an international standard acceptable to IMO;
- a primary and a backup thermostat, with an alarm if either fails;
- automatic shut-off of electrical power when the fire-extinguishing system operates;
- an alarm in the galley showing that the system has operated; and
- clearly labelled controls for manual operation by the crew.
The standard is ISO 15371 (Ships and marine technology, fire-extinguishing systems for protection of galley cooking equipment). IMO’s unified interpretation MSC.1/Circ.1433 points to ISO 15371:2009, and accepts the 2000 edition for ships built before 1 July 2013. Later editions of ISO 15371 also cover range hoods and ducts; check the approval certificate of your system for the edition it was tested to.
What to check, and how often
| When | What | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Every shift or day | Filters and hood visibly clean; fryer thermostat fault lamp off; release handles clear and labelled; fryer oil level and condition | Galley crew |
| Weekly to monthly (per company procedure) | Grease trap and filters removed and cleaned; damper indicators and fan stops checked as part of fire rounds | Galley crew and engineers |
| Quarterly | All fire dampers tested for local operation (MSC.1/Circ.1432 6.3) | Engineers |
| Annually | Galley exhaust ducts and filters verified free of grease build-up; dampers tested for remote operation; ventilation controls interlocked with fire systems tested; galley and deep-fat cooking systems checked to the maker’s instructions | Engineers and the system’s service supplier |
| At surveys | Surveyor examines the fryer fire-extinguishing systems and, as feasible, tests them; tests fire dampers and fan stops | Flag or RO surveyor |
Duct cleaning itself (beyond filters and trap) is set by the maker’s instructions and company procedures, usually by a specialist with the duct opened up through the hatches. Record each cleaning with photos of the duct before and after.
When a fryer system fires
Wet chemical systems discharge onto the oil and leave a crust that must not be broken. Do not throw water on the fryer, keep the power isolated, and let the oil cool. The system then needs recharging by the service supplier and the fryer must be cleaned before reuse. Record the event and the cause.
What the rules say
- SOLAS regulation II-2/10.6.4 requires deep-fat cooking equipment to have an automatic or manual fire-extinguishing system tested to an international standard, a primary and backup thermostat with a failure alarm, automatic power shut-off on system operation, an operation alarm in the galley and clearly labelled manual controls.1
- MSC.1/Circ.1433 interprets the footnote to SOLAS II-2/10.6.4.1 as referring to ISO 15371:2009, with ISO 15371:2000 acceptable for ships constructed before 1 July 2013.5
- SOLAS regulation II-2/9.7.5.2, as replaced by resolution MSC.365(93) for ships built on or after 1 January 2016, requires each galley exhaust duct on cargo ships and passenger ships carrying not more than 36 passengers to have a grease trap, an automatically and remotely operated lower damper and a remotely operated upper damper, fan stops operable from within the galley, and a fixed means of extinguishing a fire within the duct.2
- SOLAS regulation II-2/9.7.5.1 requires galley exhaust ducts on passenger ships carrying more than 36 passengers to be insulated to A-60 through accommodation, service spaces and control stations, with remote controls outside the galley close to its entrance and hatches near the exhaust fan and at the lower end.2
- SOLAS regulation II-2/9.7.1.2.1 exempts the damper at the lower end of a galley exhaust duct from the FTP Code test but requires it to be of steel and capable of stopping the draught.2
- SOLAS regulation II-2/9.7.1.4 requires ventilation ducts to have hatches for inspection and cleaning, located near the fire dampers.2
- MSC.1/Circ.1432, paragraph 7.6.2, calls for an annual check that galley exhaust ducts and filters are free of grease build-up, and paragraph 7.13 for an annual check of galley and deep-fat cooking systems in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.3
- MSC.1/Circ.1432, paragraphs 6.3 and 7.6.1, call for quarterly tests of all fire dampers for local operation and annual tests for remote operation.3
- FSS Code chapter 9, paragraph 2.4.2.4, allows heat detectors instead of smoke detectors in parts of galleys used to heat food and other spaces where steam and fumes are produced.4
Flag and class notes
- Bahamas (Marine Notice 79, version 2.2) lists galley and deep-fat cooking fire-extinguishing systems among the systems to be maintained under MSC.1/Circ.1432, as amended, and expects the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions to be on board and followed.6
- Marshall Islands (Marine Notice 2-011-14, Rev. Aug/2025) includes the ventilation systems and fire dampers in its table of required inspections (quarterly local, annual remote) and requires inspection reports from service technicians to be kept with the ship’s records.7
- United Kingdom: after Edinburgh Castle, the MAIB noted that the UK had advised (Merchant Shipping Notice M.1022) that fryers should have two thermostats with independent contactors, which is the principle now in SOLAS II-2/10.6.4.2.8
- Survey practice: under the HSSC survey guidelines, the surveyor examines the fire-extinguishing systems for deep-fat cooking equipment at the annual survey and tests them, as feasible, at the periodical and renewal surveys.9
Key numbers
| What | Value |
|---|---|
| Fryer thermostats | Two (primary and backup) with failure alarm1 |
| Fryer system test standard | ISO 15371:2009 (2000 edition for ships built before 1 July 2013)5 |
| Galley duct dampers (ships built from 2016) | Lower: automatic and remote; upper: remote2 |
| Galley duct insulation, passenger ships > 36 passengers | A-60 through accommodation, service spaces, control stations2 |
| Fire damper local operation test | Quarterly3 |
| Fire damper remote operation test | Annually3 |
| Duct and filter grease check | At least annually3 |
| Galley and fryer fire system check | Annually, to maker’s instructions3 |
| Edinburgh Castle galley fire, time to extinguish | About 1 hour8 |
What inspectors find
- Grease-laden filters, hoods and ducts, and grease traps that are not removable or not cleaned.3
- Damper controls that are unmarked, seized or hidden behind linings, so the crew cannot find or operate them; on Edinburgh Castle, none of the damper codes could be related to the ship’s drawings.8
- Fryer fire-extinguishing systems overdue for service, with expired cartridges or missing seals on manual releases.3
- Fryer thermostat alarms ignored or bypassed, the failure mode that started the Edinburgh Castle fire.8
- Galley detection loops left isolated after a fault or false alarms; on Edinburgh Castle the galley loop had been isolated after a fault the evening before the fire. Where cooking fumes cause false alarms, FSS Code chapter 9 allows heat detectors instead.48
FAQ
Can we use the fryer system's discharge as the fire drill?
No. Drills use the manual release procedure without discharging. A real discharge needs a recharge by the service supplier and cleaning of the fryer. Practise reaching and operating the release, isolating power and closing dampers and fans.
Who cleans the galley duct?
Filters and grease traps are cleaned by the galley crew to a schedule. The duct itself is opened and cleaned through its hatches, often by a specialist contractor, at intervals set by the company and the maker. MSC.1/Circ.1432 asks for an annual check that ducts are free of grease build-up.
Our ship was built in 2012. Do we need the upper damper?
SOLAS II-2/9.7.5 as replaced by MSC.365(93) applies to ships built on or after 1 January 2016. Ships built earlier comply with the rules in force when they were built, which for cargo ships means a damper at the lower end. Check your approved plans and flag requirements.
What should we do if the fryer system discharges?
Keep the power off, leave the crust undisturbed, ventilate once the fire is out, and call the service supplier to recharge the system. Do not use the fryer until the system is back in service, and report the event.
Quiz6 questions
Sources
- 1
IMO Resolution MSC.99(73), revised SOLAS chapter II-2 (adopted 5 December 2000, in force 1 July 2002), regulation II-2/10.6.4. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.99(73).pdf
- 2
IMO Resolution MSC.365(93), Amendments to SOLAS 1974 (adopted 22 May 2014, in force 1 January 2016), annex, regulation II-2/9.7 (ventilation systems), paragraphs 7.1.2, 7.1.4 and 7.5. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.365(93).pdf
- 3
IMO MSC.1/Circ.1432, Revised guidelines for the maintenance and inspection of fire protection systems and appliances (31 May 2012), as amended by MSC.1/Circ.1516, annex, paragraphs 6.3, 7.6 and 7.13 (consolidated copy annexed to Cayman Islands Shipping Notice 01/2014 Rev 2). https://www.cishipping.com/system/files/notices/documents/CISN%202014_01%20Rev%202%20with%20Annex.pdf
- 4
International Code for Fire Safety Systems (FSS Code), chapter 9 as replaced by resolution MSC.311(88), paragraph 2.4.2.4. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.311(88).pdf
- 5
IMO MSC.1/Circ.1433, Unified interpretations of SOLAS regulation II-2/10.6.4 and chapter 9 of the FSS Code (31 May 2012), paragraph 1.1. https://www.deutsche-flagge.de/de/redaktion/dokumente/interpretationen/solas/ii-2/msc-1-circ-1433-unified-interpretations-of-solas-regulation-ii-2-10-6-4-and-chapter-9-of-the-fss-code.pdf
- 6
Bahamas Maritime Authority, Marine Notice 79, Firefighting Equipment, version 2.2 (20 November 2025), paragraphs 4.1 and 4.6. https://www.classnk.or.jp/hp/pdf/activities/statutory/solas/solas_treaty/fire_protection/circular/ci_fi_bahama.pdf
- 7
Republic of the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator, Marine Notice 2-011-14 (Rev. Aug/2025), section 12 and Appendix A. https://www.register-iri.com/wp-content/uploads/MN-2-011-14.pdf
- 8
UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch, Report of investigation into fire in main galley of Edinburgh Castle on 21 August 1998, synopsis, sections 1.7 and 3. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/547c71a5ed915d4c0d000143/edinburgh_castle_fire.pdf
- 9
IMO Resolution A.1186(33), Survey guidelines under the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC), 2023, annex, (EA) 1.2.2.10 and (EP) 1.3.2.5. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/AssemblyDocuments/A.1186(33).pdf
Rules checked 20 October 2026. VSL Safety is not an approved training provider and doesn't issue certificates. These lessons don't replace STCW training, or the manufacturer's training and certification that service technicians need.
