watch   while   the   distilling   plants   are   in   operation. Different ships have different types of distilling plants, but  all  of  the  daily  distilling  plant  operating  records require practically the same data. The information required by this record consists of the  following: 1. Temperature, pressure, vacuum, flow, chemical analysis,  and  density  data  from  various  points  in  the distilling  plant 2.  Scaling  record  for  each  evaporator  unit,  which includes the date of the last scaling, the hours operated, and the quantity of distilled water produced 3.  Starting,  stopping,  and  total  operating  time  of each evaporator and various auxiliary machinery parts, such as air ejector and pumps 4.   Remarks   concerning   the   operation   and maintenance of the distilling plant for each watch of the day You  must  make  accurate  entries  in  the  Distilling Plant Operating Record! Accurate entries not only help predict  troubles  but,  should  abnormal  operating conditions suddenly develop, aid in locating the sources of trouble. For   other   recommended   miscellaneous   records, refer to NSTM, chapter 90. DISPOSAL OF ENGINEERING RECORDS AND   REPORTS Before   you   destroy   any   of   the   engineering department  records,  study  the  Disposal  of  Navy  and Marine   Corps   Records,   USN   and   USNS   Vessels, SECNAVINST   P5212.5   (revised).   This   publication provides  the  procedures  for  disposing  of  records.  For each department aboard the ship, these instructions list the  permanent  records  that  must  be  kept  and  the temporary  records  that  may  be  disposed  of  according  to an  established  schedule. Both the Engineering Log and Engineer’s Bell Book must be preserved as permanent records on board ship for a 3-year period unless they are requested by a naval court or board, or by the Navy Department. In such case, copies (preferably photostatic) of records that are sent from  the  ship  are  certified  by  the  engineer  officer  as being true copies and are put in the ship’s files. At regular intervals, such as each quarter, records that are over 3 years old are destroyed. When a ship that is less than 3 years old is decommissioned, the current books are retained on board. If a ship is scrapped, the current   books   are   forwarded   to   the   nearest   Naval Records Management Center. All   reports   forwarded   to,   and   received   from, NAVSEA   or   another   superior   command   may   be destroyed when they are 2 years old, if they are no longer required. Finally, to control the volume of paper work, reports should only be kept on board ship if they 1.  are  required, 2. serve a specific purpose, or 3. may provide repair personnel with information not found in publications or manuals. MEASURE  PROGRAM All  equipment  requiring  calibration  or  servicing should  be  maintained  at  maximum  dependability.  To meet  this  requirement,  the  Chief  of  Naval  Material implemented   the   Metrology   Automated   System   for Uniform Recall and Reporting (MEASURE). The MEASURE system is a tool for your use. It is only  as  good  as  the  information  that  you  put  into  it. Therefore,  it  is  important  that  alI  the  information  be complete, legible, accurate, and consistent. As  an  EN  you  will  be  required  to  read  gauges  to determine if the equipment is operating properly. The gauges  must  be  calibrated  periodically  to  assure  their accuracy.   The   MEASURE   program   provides   this calibration. In this section, we will discuss some of the major parts of the MEASURE system. METER  CARD The METER card is a five-part color-coded form to which  the  equipment  identification  and  receipt  tag  is attached. It is filled out by either the customer or the calibrating activity. You will have a METER card for every item for which you are responsible that requires calibration. This card is used to record a calibration action, to add   or   delete   items   from   inventory,   to   reschedule calibration, to transfer custody, or to record manhours for a completed calibration. The white copy of a completed METER card is sent to   the   MEASURE   Operational   Control   Center (MOCC), where the information is keypunched into a computer to update the MEASURE data base. The new information is then printed on another METER card and 1-9