One complete kit is intended to support three drafters,
and there is normally a total of two kits carried in the
battalion allowance. Full 100-percent accountability for
the contents of each kit is essential. For this reason, each
kit must be inventoried during turnover and at
twice-monthly intervals throughout the deployment.
The contents of the kits must also be inspected to make
sure they are in a state of good repair. Any missing items
or items that are damaged beyond economical and
reasonable repair must be replaced. This is done using
standard Navy supply procedures. Tool-kit inventory is
a job that you should delegate to a responsible EA3;
however, you should remember that, as the supervisor,
you can still beheld accountable for the kits. You should
remember, too, that the requirement for tool-kit
inventory applies not only to Kit 11 but also to the
surveying and soils kits.
Additional supplies and equipment are also stocked
in the engineering office to supplement the kits. These
supplies and equipment also should be inventoried
periodically to maintain a reasonable supply level at all
times. If possible, appoint one EA to serve in a collateral
duty as your section supply petty officer. He will prepare
requisitions for drafting supplies as needed and keep
you informed of any need for equipment repair or
replacement.
For the reproduction machine (usually a Blu-Ray
whiteprinter), it is a good idea to have reserve spares for
those parts that break down often. Most important of all,
keep an ample supply of blueprint and sepia paper stored
in a cool, dark space away from ammonia fumes or
vapors.
Drafting Room Layout
Small crowded rooms hinder good work and make
effective safety practices difficult. According to Facility
Planning Criteria for Navy and Marine Corps Shore
Installations, NAVFAC P-80, 90 square feet of floor
space per person, exclusive of storage space, should be
used for planning purposes. A length-to-width ratio of
about 2:1 is desirable for a drafting room, because this
ratio allows for the proper arrangement of drafting
tables and good lighting.
An important factor to consider is the conservation
of vision, since excessive light, as well as inadequate
light, induces severe eyestrain. North-exposure
windows are best for admitting daylight in the Northern
Hemisphere. It is important that the lighting in the room
be adequate in both quality and intensity; however, take
care to avoid placing working areas in positions where
they will be subjected to the glare of direct sunlight.
Usually, excellent artificial lighting is achieved by the
use of portable, adjustable lamps that can be clamped to
the drawing table and moved so that the light falls in
such a way as to minimize shadows and glare.
When you arrange the drafting room, try to separate
work areas and storage space. Keep materials and
instruments that are not in use in easily accessible
cabinets and ensure that personnel do not have to walk
around someone who is working to reach supplies. Keep
prints where they can be reached quickly by any
authorized person. If possible, have drafting equipment
and reproduction equipment located in separate rooms.
Personnel Organization
The number of drafting personnel in a construction
battalion is usually small; therefore, an elaborate
organization following the series or the unit assembly
system is not generally feasible. Instead, the parallel
system is usually followed. In this system, each person
is trained to do all the different job phases, and the same
person carries a drawing through from start to finish. A
senior person, however, may occasionally be assigned
as checker and editor, and routine tasks, such as
lettering, tracing, and insertion of corrections, may be
assigned to junior personnel and strikers. However, to
train personnel efficiently and to sustain interest and
morale, you should maintain enough rotation to ensure
that each person gets varied experience.
Filing System for Drawings
The filing system used for drawings should be the
one you find to be most satisfactory-meaning that
there are no specific rules on the subject. For a
discussion of recommending filing practices, you
should review chapter 16 of the EA3 TRAMAN.
An individual should be assigned daily to the task
of logging in, card indexing, and filing any drawings or
prints received. Tracings should be filed separately, and
there should be a standing rule that tracings must never
be removed from the file except with your approval as
the supervising EA. About the only time removal is
necessary is for reproduction purposes.
Any print issued to a constructor should be logged
out by recording the date of issue and the name of the
individual to whom it was issued. The purpose of this is
to allow you to inform the constructors of any changes
that must be made to prints used in the field.
Reproduction Room
As you know well by now, ammonia vapors are
highly toxic; therefore, for any room containing
ammonia-vapor reproduction equipment, ventilation is
of vital importance. Check with the battalion safety
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