Hazardous Material
Hazardous material includes all types of compressed gases and materials that present a fire hazard or are otherwise dangerous. Paint and oil constitute the bulk of material in this category. Paint and flammable liquid storerooms are normally provided with alarm and CO2 smothering systems that can be activated by automatic temperature-sensitive devices inside storerooms and by manual controls outside storerooms. A flooding system operated manually outside storerooms is an additional safety factor. These storerooms are located, when practical, below the full-load water line, near either end of the vessel, but not adjacent to a magazine. They are equipped with watertight doors that must be locked and dogged when not in use.

Compressed Gases
Stow compressed gases on the weather deck, and securely fasten them in a vertical position. Protect the cylinder valves from accumulations of ice and snow, and screen the cylinders from direct rays of the sun. NAVSUP P-485 contains more specific information concerning handling compressed gas cylinders.

Acid
Liquid acid, unless classified as safe material, is stowed in an acid locker. Acid lockers are leak-proof and lead-lined boxes, chests, or lockers specifically designed for stowing bottles or carboys of acid. Medical acids may be stored in a medical storeroom.

Alcohol
Alcohol should be stowed in a locked container in the paint and flammable liquid storeroom, to which only the supply officer (or other officer designated in writing by the commanding officer) has the key or combination.

SHELF-LIFE MATERIAL
Shelf-life material is subject to deterioration. These items are assigned a shelf-life code listed in the NMDL. The code denotes the shelf-life span of material from the date of manufacture to the date of disposal, or date of testing according to the inventory manager's instructions to extend the shelf life. Type I codes (alpha) apply to items for which shelf life cannot be extended. Type II codes (numeric) apply to items for which shelf life may be extended.

OTHER REPAIR PARTS
Repair parts should be stored in their original containers. With today's improving techniques and the material used in packaging, repair parts may be stored for a considerable time without damage from dust, shock, or humidity.

STOREROOMS
When you are in charge of a storeroom, you are also responsible for maintaining cleanliness of the style="mso-spacerun: yes"> space. Before you secure each night, sweep the storeroom and remove all trash. Periodically clean bins, shelves, ventilation ducts, and fans.

The overall condition of your space is also your responsibility. Rust is an ever-present enemy, and constant vigilance is required to keep it under control. Rust spots should be chipped, wire brushed or sanded, primed, and spot painted. Tighten loose bolts promptly to prevent possible damage to the storeroom or its contents. Examine pipes, valves, electrical systems, watertight fittings, and fire-fighting equipment daily, and report any defect to the supply officer.

Before getting underway into open seas, thoroughly inspect and secure storerooms to prevent stores from shifting due to the ship's motion. Lash bulk stores to bulkheads, stanchions, or battens, and secure the fronts of open bins and shelves to prevent stores from falling out on the deck. Unless approval is obtained from the commanding officer, do not stow personal gear in storerooms designated for supplies.

INVENTORY

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Recognize specific characteristics of each type of supply inventory, how inventories are to be conducted, and procedures for inventory reconciliation.

Throughout this section, we will use various terms to refer to inventory control procedures. Some of these terms are defined here to help you understand them and apply them correctly. NAVSUP P-485 provides definitions for all the terms used in inventory control.

DEFINITIONS
In the following paragraphs, we will discuss definitions that are used in the supply system.

Inventory
Inventory is the quantity of stocks on hand for which stock records are maintained, or the function whereby the material on hand is physically inspected and counted and stock records reconciled accordingly.

Order and Shipping Time
Order and shipping time refers to the time elapsing between submitting a requisition and receiving the material requisitioned (also called procurement lead time).

Average Endurance Level
Average endurance level refers to the quantity of material normally required to be on hand to sustain operations for a stated period without resupply.

High Limit (Requisitioning Objective)
High limit is the maximum quantity of material to be maintained on hand and on order to sustain current operations normally for 9 months.

Low Limit (Reorder Point)
Low limit (reorder point) is the least amount of the stock required to be left on hand before the need to reorder is indicated.

Not Carried (NC) Items
Not carried (NC) items are items not stocked in storerooms or for which stock records are not maintained.

Not in Stock (NIS)
Not in stock (NIS) are items carried in stock but not on board when demand occurs.

Demand
Demand refers to the request for an NC item that will be procured or an issue of a stock item.

Frequency of Demand
Frequency of demand refers to the number of requests for an item within a given time frame, regardless of the quantity requested or issued.

Integrated Logistics Overhaul (ILO)
The ILO is an overhaul procedure divided into several phases, designed to weed out obsolete and unused items.

TYPES OF INVENTORIES
There are several types of inventories, each with a specific purpose. These types of inventory are bulkhead-to-bulkhead, specific commodity, special material, spot, velocity, and random sampling.

Bulkhead-to-Bulkhead
A bulkhead-to-bulkhead inventory is a physical count of all the material aboard a ship or within a specific storeroom. A bulkhead-to-bulkhead style="mso-spacerun: yes"> inventory of a specific storeroom is conducted when a random sampling of that storeroom fails to meet the inventory accuracy rate of 90 percent.

Specific Commodity Inventory
The specific commodity inventory is a physical count of all items under the same cognizance symbol or federal supply class (such as 6515/6505), or that support the same operational function (e.g., bandages, IV fluids, needles, etc.).

Special Material Inventory
A special material inventory requires the physical count of all items that, because of their physical characteristics, costs, or other reasons, are specifically designated for separate identification and inventory control. Special material inventories include but are not limited to stocked items designated as classified or hazardous. Physical inventory of such material is required on a scheduled basis, as prescribed in the NAVSUP P-485.

Medical supplies are examples of both the specific commodity and special material inventories.

Spot Inventory
A spot inventory is an unscheduled type of physical inventory to verify the existence of a specific item. It is usually conducted when a requisition is returned showing the item is not in stock but the stock records indicate the item is on hand. Aspot inventory is also conducted when directed by higher authority or when a specific item has been found to be defective.

Velocity Inventory
A velocity inventory is based on the premise that the faster an item moves, the greater the room for error. This type of inventory is required on items with a relatively high turnover rate.

Random Sampling Inventory
A random sampling inventory is considered to be part of the annual scheduled inventory program. It is done to measure the stock record accuracy for a segment of material on hand.