STOWAGE
Material in storerooms and other designated stowage areas are arranged to:
The preceding criteria and a “commonsense” approach will enable storeroom personnel to achieve stowage efficiency.
To the maximum extent that available space permits, you must adhere to the following guidelines when stowing material:
Locate heavy bulk material and materialshandling equipment near hatches or doors to minimize the physical effort required for loading, stowage, and breakout.
Locate light bulky materials in storerooms with high overhead clearances for maximum use of available space.
Segregate materials that are dissimilar in type or classification.
Locate frequently requested materials as close as possible to the point of issue.
Locate shelf-life items in a readily accessible area to facilitate periodic screening.
Install appropriate stowage aids in spaces where they can be effectively used.
Provide for aisles at least 30 inches wide where practical.
Arrange material with identification labels facing outward to facilitate issue and in inventory.
Avoid multiple locations for the same item. If you follow the preceding criteria and guidelines, you should have no problems in maintaining your spaces, issuing materials, or doing inventory on materials.
INVENTORY
The term inventory is used to refer to the quantity of stocks on hand for which stock records are kept, or the function of inspecting and counting the material and reconciling the stock cards. The primary objective of an inventory is to ensure that stock balances, as reflected in stock or custody records, agree with quantities on hand.
TYPES OF INVENTORIES
There are several types of inventories, each with a specific purpose in mind.
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 complete inventory of all a ship’s material and repair parts is usually taken during a Supply Operations Assistance Program/Integrated Logistics Overhaul (SOAP/ILO). A bulkhead-to-bulkhead inventory of a specific storeroom is conducted when a random sampling of that storeroom fails to meet the inventory accuracy rate of 90 percent, when directed by TYCOM incident to a supply management inspection (SMI), when directed by the commanding officer, or when circumstances indicate that it is essential to effective inventory control.
Specific Commodity Inventory
The specific commodity inventory is a physical count of all items under the same cognizance symbol or Federal supply class, or that support the same operational function. This type of inventory is taken under the same conditions as a bulkheadto-bulkhead inventory, but prior knowledge of specific stock numbers and item location is required.
Special Material Inventory
A special material inventory requires the physical count of all items that, because of their
