scope:

PURPOSE

There are items in the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Federal Supply System that require special handling due to certain deteriorative characteristics. These items are to be properly maintained to ensure that the customer is provided fresh, useable materiel. The purpose of this Manual is to establish a shelf-life program and process, with special emphasis on those items having these known deterioration characteristics, to mitigate the risk of shelf-life expiration and lapses of shelf-life items/materiel beyond their inspect/test dates.

Provide policy and basic procedures for the management of both non-consumable and consumable shelf-life items that may be hazardous material (HAZMAT) or non-hazardous material, spanning all classes of supply and stored at all levels of the Federal Supply System. Shelf-life management for hazardous materiel follows the same procedures as those for any shelflife items, except that hazardous materiel should receive priority processing over non-hazardous materiel. Issues and guidelines concerning the acquisition, storage, handling, transportation, and disposal of hazardous materiel are addressed in Chapters 3 and 5 of this Manual. Class I perishable subsistence, Class III bulk petroleum, Class V ammunition, and Class VIII-B blood, are excluded from this Manual and shall continue to be managed in accordance with existing regulations. Commodities excluded from this Manual may be represented by their respective DoD Component to the DoD Shelf-Life Board. The definitions for "classes of supply" may be found in Appendix 16 of DoD 4140.1-R (reference (a)).

This Manual endorses the pollution prevention measures in DoD Instruction 4715.4 (reference (b)) for hazardous materiel (HAZMAT) minimization (HAZMIN), as well as, the establishment of hazardous materiel control and management (HMC&M) philosophies which include consolidation and reutilization practices that embrace HAZMIN and HAZMAT elimination to reduce the hazardous waste (HW) stream.

Appendices A through K augment this Manual and furnish additional information germane to the DoD Shelf-Life Management Program. Appendix L serves as a quick reference index to this Manual.

SCOPE

A. As the following functions or processes impact upon shelf-life management considerations, this Manual applies to:

1. The acquisition process and "cradle-to-grave" life-cycle management.

2. Shelf-life item management at all levels of supply i.e., wholesale primary inventory control activity (PICA), secondary inventory control activity (SICA), retail intermediate supply support activity, and consumer (using unit).

3. Receipt, storage, surveillance, inspection and testing; and, identification and dissemination of shelf-life extensions.

4. Materiel releases including, but not limited to issues, shipments and transfers.

5. Materiel dispositions and disposal.

B. Policies contained in this Manual are applicable to shelf-life items furnished as Government-Furnished Property (GFP) to a contractor for the fabrication/production of an end item. Management and storage of GFP shall be subject to the same restrictions and management controls.

C. Shelf-Life policies contained in this Manual apply to private sector contractors performing Government work authorized through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76.