5 FAH-4 H-500
RECORDS EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES
5 FAH-4 H-510
PROCEDURES FOR MANAGING AND OBTAINING RECORDS EQUIPMENT
AND SUPPLIES
(CT:RMH-21; 10-24-2018)
(Office of Origin: A/GIS/IPS)
5 FAH-4 H-511 GENERAL
(CT:RMH-1; 10-30-1995)
Offices are to use the proper supplies and equipment for
their records program. Management must see that existing stocks are fully
exhausted before purchasing new equipment. Additionally, floor load factors
must be taken into consideration when acquiring large filing equipment or
safes.
5 FAH-4 H-512 DEFINITION
(CT:RMH-1; 10-30-1995)
Records equipment for the purposes of this handbook
relates to equipment used for filing paper or microfilmed records; it does not
include computers. Equipment included is filing cabinets, safes, shelves,
mechanized files, lateral file cabinets, and all other types of desk top
supplies, folders, jackets; etc., used to hold files.
5 FAH-4 H-513 STANDARDIZATION
(CT:RMH-21; 10-24-2018)
Standard items listed in the GSA schedules and/or supply
catalogs, must be used to the maximum extent possible. Nonstandard items must
be justified in writing to the Office of
Information Programs and Services A/GIS/IPS.
5 FAH-4 H-514 NEW FILING EQUIPMENT
(CT:RMH-21; 10-24-2018)
a. New filing equipment is to be acquired only when it
has been determined that there is a definite need and filing equipment from
surplus cannot be obtained. All efforts to obtain surplus, even from other
bureaus, are to be exhausted prior to acquiring new equipment. New equipment
must not be considered purely for esthetic improvements.
b. Offices and posts use the following as guidelines
prior to approval of new purchases:
(1) Retire inactive records to the Records and Archives Management Division in A/GIS/IPS;
(2) Dispose of records authorized by the appropriate disposition
schedule for the Department or post. Utilize all of the filing equipment,
including top and bottom drawers;
(3) Remove from filing equipment all extraneous items,
such as supplies, decorations, personal items;
(4) Survey filing equipment within each office to
determine whether existing equipment can be redistributed;
(5) Use safes for classified and administratively
controlled material (i.e. Top Secret, special-captioned, and Secret);
(6) Install bar locks on file cabinets to meet other
security classifications (i.e., sensitive but unclassified materials.) Note:
if there is space available in safes, then lower classification material is to
be stored within the safes so as not to underutilize the safes and acquire
additional filing equipment unnecessarily;
(7) While bar lock cabinets are perhaps not as
attractive esthetically as safes, safes may not be purchased for storing other
than Top Secret, captioned documents and Secret, because of the significant
cost and weight difference between bar lock files and safes; and
(8) End of year buying is to be closely monitored.
5 FAH-4 H-515 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
(CT:RMH-21; 10-24-2018)
A/GIS/IPS will
provide technical assistance to posts and offices to review their records
management program and equipment utilization. Prior to approving large
purchases of equipment, a review might be appropriate to determine whether an
alternative, such as microfilming or retirement of records, might not be a more
effective means of records management.
5 FAH-4 H-516 APPROVALS
5 FAH-4 H-516.1 Department
(CT:RMH-1; 10-30-1995)
All requisitions for new equipment must be approved by the
bureaus' Executive Director or Administrative Officer.
5 FAH-4 H-516.2 Posts
(CT:RMH-1; 10-30-1995)
The Post Records Officer and Administrative Officer are
responsible for approving acquisitions of new equipment
5 FAH-4 H-517 THROUGH H-519 UNASSIGNED
(CT:RMH-1; 10-30-1995)