and  must  have  inspection  documentation  maintained  on record. You must retain traceability through the repair and installation process. It requires special marking and tagging  for  identification  and  separate  storage  to preclude  loss  of  control.  The  RO  may  designate  as controlled material any material that requires material traceability. Under  this  definition,  controlled  material  has  two meanings. The first meaning applies to items considered critical  enough  to  warrant  the  label  of  controlled material.   Your   CMPOs   will   be   responsible   for inspecting  the  material  when  it  is  received,  stowing  it separately  from  other  material,  providing  custody,  and seeing that controlled assembly procedures are used during its installation. The term  controlled  material  is used   in   reference   to   material   either   labeled “SUBSAFE”  or classed in one of the three levels of essentiality.  (Strictly  speaking,  SUBSAFE is not a level of  essentiality.) SUBSAFE To help you understand SUBSAFE, we will discuss a little of the background of the program. The Submarine Safety Program (hence, the SUBSAFE) was established in  1963  as  a  direct  result  of  the  loss  of  the  USS THRESHER.  The program is two-fold, consisting of both material and operability  requirements. It provides a  high  level  of  confidence  in  the  material  conditions  of the hull integrity boundary and in the ability of the submarines  to  recover  from  control  surface  casualties and  flooding. SUBSAFE  requirements categories,  which  are  devoted  to are  split  into  five 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. piping  systems, flooding  control  and  recovery. documentation, pressure  hull  boundary,  and government-furnished    material. There  are  three  SUBSAFE  definitions  you  need  to consider:  SUBSAFE  system,  SUBSAFE  boundary,  and SUBSAFE material. SUBSAFE  System This  is  any  submarine  system  determined  by NAVSEA  to  require  the  special  material  or  operability requirements of the SUBSAFE program. How does it concern you? After you have installed a system, it must prevent flooding of the submarine, enhance recovery in the event of flooding, and ensure reliable ship control. SUBSAFE  Boundary A  SUBSAFE  boundary  marks  the  specific  portion of  a  SUBSAFE  system  within  which  the  stringent material  or  operability  requirements  of  SUBSAFE apply. SUBSAFE  Material Within the SUBSAFE boundary, two different sets of requirements apply-SUBSAFE and Level I. What is the  difference  between  the  two?  The  difference  is expressed  by  two  words,  certification  and verification. Material   certification   pertains   to   the   SUBSAFE program. This means that an item certified as SUBSAFE meets a certain testing or fabrication requirement and can be used as intended in a critical hull integrity or pressure-containing  role.  On  the  other  hand,  material verification pertains to the Level I program. An item specified as Level I has had its material composition tested and verified. This testing and verification ensures traceability from the material back to a lot or batch to ensure  that  its  material  composition  complies  with procurement   specifications. DEPARTURE FROM SPECIFICATION Specifications  are  engineering  requirements  such  as type  of  material,  dimensional  clearances,  and  physical arrangements, by which ship components are installed, tested,   and   maintained.   All   ships,   surface   and submarine, are designed and constructed to specific technical  and  physical  requirements.  As  a  supervisor, you must ensure that your personnel make every effort to maintain all ship systems and components according to  published  specifications.  What  do  you  do  if  a specification cannot be met? Don’ t panic! There are, on occasion, situations in which specifications cannot be  met.  In  such  cases,  the  system  or  component  is controlled  with  a  deviation  from  specification.  To maintain  precise  control  of  a  ship’s  technical configuration, any deviation you make must be recorded and  approved  as  a  departure  from  specification. DEFINING A DEPARTURE FROM SPECIFICATION Plainly put, a departure from specification is a lack of compliance with an authoritative document, plan, procedure, or instruction. As a minimum, departures are required when the following situations recur: 1. There is a technical lack of compliance with cognizant documents,   drawings,   or   work 6-11