Lesson 4/Learning Event 1
Materials become unserviceable for many reasons.
The life expectancy of
many items is influenced and limited by humidity and temperature. Humidity,
the moisture in the air, has a deteriorating effect on most supplies.
Supplies must be constantly inspected to ensure that they have not been
damaged by temperature extremes.
For instance, paints may be severely
damaged or even become useless when subjected to temperatures below
freezing.
Often overlooked as a storage hazard is the proximity of the
supplies to sources of artificial heat, such as stoves or suspended heaters.
Dunnage, paulins, and tents are the three primary means of protecting
supplies in the open from weather elements. Dunnage is any material that is
used in transportation and storage to support and secure supplies, to
protect them from damage, or to provide ease in handling.
Paulins are
sheets of canvas or other moisture-resistant material.
They are used to
cover supplies in open storage to protect them from the sun, wind, rain,
snow, or ice.
Paulins must be overlapped in a direction away from
prevailing winds, folded, and securely fastened to give maximum protection.
After adverse weather, paulins must be checked for damage.
Tents often
provide excellent protection from the weather, If erected properly. Tents,
like paulins, must be checked after adverse weather conditions.
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