be  cut  into  strips  and  used  to  fill  unused  space where  fragile  material  is  located.  Material  received in glass containers must receive special attention since breakage not only results in loss of the item but  may  cause  damage  to  other  stores  or  create a  hazard  to  personnel. Aisles—When   arranging   stock,   position   an aisle  about  30  inches  wide  in  the  storeroom  so  you will  have  access  to  all  stock.  If  an  aisle  is  not maintained,  you  will  have  to  remove  several  items to  get  to  others  during  breakouts  or  issues  and inventory can turn into a nightmare. It is generally recognized  that  just  before  deployment  and  1 month into deployment it may be hard to main- tain an aisle in the storeroom due to the amounts of stock on board. Lack of stowage space is a very evident  problem  aboard  ship  and  during  pre- deployment  planning  these  problems  need  to  be resolved.  The  supply  officer  may  be  able  to negotiate   with   other   department   heads   for additional  stowage  space.  If  additional  space  is not available, stowage plans will have to be made on  the  space  available. Item   characteristics—Most   items   of   ship’s store  stock  are  of  such  nature  that  special  stowage is  not  required.  However,  there  are  some  stock items that require special considerations such as flammable  stock,  perishable  stock,  and  so  forth. We discuss some of these stock items later in this chapter. Storeroom Maintenance The  responsible  custodian  of  the  bulk  store- room is responsible for cleaning and maintaining the  space,  including  keeping  the  storeroom  free of  items  that  should  be  surveyed  because  they  are damaged  or  deteriorated.  When  such  items  are present  in  the  bulk  storeroom,  the  responsible custodian  should  notify  his  or  her  supervisor  so action can be taken to mark them down or survey them. The  neatness,  cleanliness,  and  order  of  the bulk  storeroom  are  also  responsibilities  of  the custodian.   These   are   carried   out   by   proper housekeeping   and   maintenance   of   the   space. Observation  of  good  housekeeping  practices  in  the bulk  storeroom  promotes  safety,  reduces  losses from   damage   of   merchandise,   reduces   fire hazards, and increases the efficiency of the bulk storeroom   operation. Before you secure for the day, break down all loose boxes, sweep, and remove all trash from the 3-13 bulk   storeroom.   Also   inspect   and   clean   bins, shelves, ventilation ducts, and fans periodically. After  major  receipts  or  breakouts,  stock  should be  organized  with  the  content  labels  visible. The material condition of the space is also the responsibility  of  the  responsible  custodian.  For instance,   rust   is   an   ever-present   enemy   and requires  constant  vigilance  to  keep  it  under control.  Rust  spots  should  be  chipped,  brushed or sanded, primed, and spot painted. Loose bolts should be tightened promptly to prevent possible damage  to  the  storeroom  or  its  contents.  Pipes, valves,  electrical  systems,  watertight  fittings,  and fire-fighting  equipment  must  be  examined  daily and any defect reported to the ship’s store officer. The  ship’s  store  officer  should  inspect  all  ship’s store  activities  under  his  or  her  control  each business day and submit required reports to the supply  officer  or  duty  supply  officer  before  8 o’clock reports. The method and the time of these reports  are  established  in  each  ship’s  routine. Before  getting  underway  into  open  seas, storerooms  must  be  thoroughly  inspected  and secured to prevent stores from shifting due to the ship’s  motion.  Bulk  stores  must  be  braced  or lashed to bulkheads, stanchions, or battens, and the  fronts  of  open  bins  and  shelves  secured  to prevent stores from falling out on the deck. Once you  check  and  prepare  your  storerooms  for  sea, notify   your   supervisor   to   have   the   storeroom checked.  After  all  ship’s  store  spaces  have  been prepared for sea and checked, the leading Ship’s Serviceman reports to the ship’s store officer that all ship’s store spaces are ready for sea. The ship’s store officer passes this information to the supply officer so readiness reports for getting underway may  be  given  to  the  officer  of  the  deck  in  the pilothouse. Issue and Rotation Earlier  you  learned  that  the  oldest  stock  on hand  in  the  bulk  storeroom  should  be  issued  first. Generally  speaking,  it  is  first  in  and  first  out. However,  when  deployed  overseas,  you  may receive stock from naval supply depots or combat logistics force (CLF) units that was manufactured before  the  stock  procured  in  the  United  States when loading out. Manufacture age codes that we discussed earlier are especially important in this case   because   they   indicate   the   date   of manufacture.  In  the  instance  above,  the  new  stock just  received  is  actually  older  than  the  stock already  in  the  bulk  storeroom  and  should  be issued first.