## Subpart 45.5—Management of Government Property in the Possession of Contractors

### 45.500 Scope of subpart.

This subpart prescribes the minimum requirements contractors must meet in establishing and maintaining control over Government property. It applies to contractors organized for profit and, except as otherwise noted, to non-profit organizations. In order for the special requirements in this subpart governing nonprofit organizations to apply, the contract must identify the contractor as a nonprofit organization. If there is any inconsistency between this subpart and the terms of the contract under which the Government property is provided, the terms of the contract shall govern.

### 45.501 Definitions.

“Accessory item,” as used in this subpart, means an item that facilitates or enhances the operation of plant equipment but which is not essential for its operation.

“Agency-peculiar property” (see 45.301).

“Auxiliary item,” as used in this subpart, means an item without which the basic unit of plant equipment cannot operate.

“Contractor-acquired property” (see 45.101).

“Custodial records,” as used in this subpart, means written memoranda of any kind, such as requisitions, issue hand receipts, tool checks, and stock record books, used to control items issued from tool cribs, tool rooms, and stockrooms.

“Discrepancies incident to shipment,” as used in this subpart, means all deficiencies incident to shipment of Government property to or from a contractor’s facility whereby differences exist between the property purported to have been shipped and property actually received. Such deficiencies include loss, damage, destruction, improper status and condition coding, errors in identity or classification, and improper consignment.

“Facilities” (see 45.301).

“Government-furnished property” (see 45.101).

“Government property” (see 45.101).

“Individual item record,” as used in this subpart, means a separate card, form, document or specific line(s) of computer data used to account for one item of property.

“Material” (see 45.301).

“Nonprofit organization” (see 45.301).

“Plant equipment” (see 45.101).

“Property administrator,” as used in this subpart, means an authorized representative of contracting officer assigned to administer the contract requirements and obligations relating to Government property.

“Real property” (see 45.101).

“Salvage,” as used in this subpart, means property that, because of its worn, damaged, deteriorated, or incomplete condition or specialized nature, has no reasonable prospect of sale or use as serviceable property without major repairs, but has some value in excess of its scrap value.

“Special test equipment” (see 45.101).

“Special tooling” (see 45.101).

“Stock record,” as used in this subpart, means a perpetual inventory record which shows by nomenclature the quantities of each item received and issued and the balance on hand.

“Summary record,” as used in this subpart, means a separate card, form, document or specific line(s) of computer data used to account for multiple quantities of a line item of special tooling, special test equipment, or plant equipment costing less than $5,000 per unit.

“Utility distribution system,” as used in this subpart, includes distribution and transmission lines, substations, or installed equipment forming an integral part of the system by which gas, water, steam, electricity, sewerage, or other utility services are transmitted between the outside building or structure in which the services are used and the point of origin, disposal, or connection with some other system. It does not include communication services.

“Work-in-process,” as used in this subpart, means material that has been released to manufacturing, engineering, design or other services under the contract and includes undelivered manufactured parts, assemblies, and products, either complete or incomplete.

### 45.502 Contractor responsibility.

(a) The contractor is directly responsible and accountable for all Government property in accordance with the requirements of the contract. This includes Government property in the possession or control of a subcontractor. The contractor shall establish and maintain a system in accordance with this subpart to control, protect, preserve, and maintain all Government property. This property control system shall be in writing unless the property administrator determines that maintaining a written system is unnecessary. The system shall be reviewed and, if satisfactory, approved in writing by the property administrator.

(b) The contractor shall maintain and make available the records required by this subpart and account for all Government property until relieved of that responsibility. The contractor shall furnish all necessary data to substantiate any request for relief from responsibility.

(c)(1) The contractor shall be responsible for the control of Government property under this Subpart 45.5 upon—

(i) Delivery of Government-furnished property into its custody or control;

(ii) Delivery, when property is purchased by the contractor and the contract calls for reimbursement by the Government (this requirement does not alter or modify contractual requirements relating to passage of title);

(iii) Approval of its claim for reimbursement by the Government or upon issuance for use in contract performance, whichever is earlier, of property withdrawn from contractor-owned stores and charged directly to the contract; or

(iv) Acceptance of title by the Government when title is acquired pursuant to specific contract clauses or as a result of change orders or contract termination.

(2) Property to which the Government has acquired a lien or title solely as a result of advance, progress, or partial payments is not subject to the requirements of this subpart.

(d) The contractor shall require subcontractors provided Government property under the prime contract to comply with the requirements of this subpart. Procedures for assuring subcontractor compliance shall be included in the contractor’s property control system. Where the property administrator assigned to the contract has requested supporting property administration from another contract administration office, the contractor may accept the system approval of the supporting property administrator instead of performing duplicative actions to assure the subcontractor’s compliance.

(e) If the property administrator finds any portion of the contractor’s property control system to be inadequate, the contractor must take any necessary corrective action before the system can be approved. If the contractor and property administrator cannot agree regarding the adequacy of control and corrective action, the matter shall be referred to the contracting officer.

(f) When Government property (excluding misdirected shipments, see 45.505-12) is disclosed to be in the possession or control of the contractor but not provided under any contract, the contractor shall promptly—

(1) Record such property according to the established property control procedure; and

(2) Furnish to the property administrator all known circumstances and data pertaining to its receipt and a statement as to whether there is a need for its retention.

(g) The contractor shall promptly report all Government property in excess of the amounts needed to complete full performance under the contracts providing it or authorizing its use.

(h) When unrecorded Government property is found, both the cause of the discrepancy and actions taken or needed to prevent recurrence shall be determined and reported to the property administrator.

### 45.502-1 Receipts for Government property.

The contractor shall furnish written receipts for all or specified classes of Government property only when the property administrator deems it essential for maintaining minimum acceptable property controls. If evidence of receipt is required for contractor-acquired property, the contractor shall provide it before submitting its request for payment for the property. For Government-furnished property, the contractor shall provide the required receipt immediately upon receipt of the property.

### 45.502-2 Discrepancies incident to shipment.

(a) Government-furnished property. If overages, shortages, or damages are discovered upon receipt of Government-furnished property, the contractor shall provide a statement of the condition and apparent causes to the property administrator and to other activities specified in the approved property control system. Only that quantity of property actually received will be recorded on the official records.

(b) Contractor-acquired property. The contractor shall take all actions necessary in adjusting overages, shortages, or damages in shipment of contractor-acquired property from a vendor or supplier. However, when the shipment has moved by Government bill of lading and carrier liability is indicated, the contractor shall report the discrepancy in accordance with paragraph (a) of this subsection.

### 45.503 Relief from responsibility.

(a) Unless the contract or contracting officer provides otherwise, the contractor shall be relieved of property control responsibility for Government property by—

(1) Reasonable and proper consumption of property in the performance of the contract as determined by the property administrator;

(2) Retention by the contractor, with the approval of the contracting officer, of property for which the Government has received consideration;

(3) The authorized sale of property, provided the proceeds are received by or credited to the Government;

(4) Shipment from the contractor’s plant, under Government instructions, except when shipment is to a subcontractor or other location of the contractor; or

(5) A determination by the contracting officer of the contractor’s liability for any property that is lost, damaged, destroyed, or consumed in excess of that normally anticipated in a manufacturing or processing operation, if—

(i) The determination is furnished to the contractor in writing;

(ii) The Government is reimbursed where required by the determination; and

(iii) Property rendered unserviceable by damage is properly disposed of, and the determination is cross-referenced to the shipping or other documents evidencing disposal.

(b) Nonprofit organizations are relieved of responsibility for Government property when title to the property is transferred to the contractor (see 35.014).

### 45.504 Contractor’s liability.

(a) Subject to the terms of the contract and the circumstances surrounding the particular case, the contractor may be liable for shortages, loss, damages, or destruction of Government property. The contractor may also be liable when the use or consumption of Government property unreasonably exceeds the allowances provided for by the contract, the bill of material, or other appropriate criteria.

(b) The contractor shall investigate and report to the property administrator all cases of loss, damage, or destruction of Government property in its possession or control as soon as the facts become known or when requested by the property administrator. A report shall be furnished when completed and accepted products or end items are lost, damaged, or destroyed while in the contractor’s possession or control.

(c) The contractor shall require any of its subcontractors possessing or controlling Government property accountable under the contract to investigate and report all instances of loss, damage, or destruction of such property.

### 45.505 Records and reports of Government property.

(a) The contractor’s property control records shall constitute the Government’s official property records unless an exception has been authorized. The contractor shall establish and maintain adequate control records for all Government property, including property provided to and in the possession or control of a subcontractor. The property control records specified in this section are the minimum required by the Government. Unless the property administrator directs otherwise, when a subcontractor has an approved property control system for Government property provided under its own prime contracts, the contractor shall use the records created and maintained under that system.

(b) The contractor’s property control system shall provide financial accounts for Government-owned property in the contractor’s possession or control. The system shall be subject to internal control standards and be supported by property records for such property.

(c) Official Government property records must identify all Government property and provide a complete, current, auditable record of all transactions. The contractor’s system of records maintenance shall be sufficient to adequately control Government property as required by this section. The contractor’s system of records maintenance, as a minimum, shall be equivalent to and maintained in the same manner as the contractor’s system for maintaining records of contractor-owned property, but need not exceed the requirements of this subpart. The records shall be safeguarded from tampering or destruction. Records shall be accessible to authorized Government personnel.

(d) Separate property records for each contract are desirable, but a consolidated property record may be maintained if it provides the required information.

(e) Special tooling and special test equipment fabricated from materials that are the property of the Government shall be recorded as Government-owned immediately upon fabrication. Special tooling and special test equipment fabricated from materials that are the property of the contractor shall be recorded as Government property at the time title passes to the Government.

(f) Property records of the type established for components acquired separately shall be used for serviceable components permanently removed from items of Government property as a result of modification.

(g) The contractor’s property control system shall contain a system or technique to locate any item of Government property within a reasonable period of time.

### 45.505-1 Basic information.

(a) Unless summary records are used as authorized under paragraph (b) of this section, the contractor’s property control records shall provide the following basic information for every item of Government property in the contractor’s possession, regardless of value (other subsections of 45.505 require additional information for specific categories of Government property):

(1) The name, description, and National Stock Number (if furnished by the Government or available in the property control system).

(2) Quantity received (or fabricated), issued, and on hand.

(3) Unit price (and unit of measure).

(4) Contract number or equivalent code designation.

(5) Location.

(6) Disposition.

(7) Posting reference and date of transaction.

(b) Summary records are normally adequate for special tooling, special test equipment, and plant equipment costing less than $5,000 per unit, except where the contract administration office determines that individual item records are necessary for effective control, calibration, or maintenance. Summary records shall provide the information listed in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(7) of this section, but may reference a general location, provided the contractor can locate the property within a reasonable period of time.

### 45.505-2 Records of pricing information.

(a) Requirement for unit prices.

(1) The contractor’s property control system shall contain the unit price for each item of Government property except as provided in (b) of this section. When a contractor records the unit price of property on other than the quantitative inventory records, those supplementary records shall become part of the official Government property records.

(2) (Note: This paragraph (a)(2) does not apply to nonprofit organizations.) The requirement that unit prices be contained in the official Government property records does not apply to those separate property records located at a contractor’s secondary sites and subcontractor plants; provided, that—

(i) Records maintained by the prime contractor at its primary site include unit prices; and

(ii) The prime contractor agrees to furnish actual or estimated unit prices to the secondary site or subcontractor as the need arises.

(3) When definite information as to unit price cannot be obtained, reasonable estimates will be used.

(b) Determining unit price—

(1) Contractor-acquired and contractor-fabricated property. Except for items fabricated by nonprofit organizations for research and development purposes, the unit price of contractor-acquired and contractor-fabricated property shall be determined in accordance with the system established by the contractor in conformance with consistently applied sound accounting principles. Generally, separate unit prices should be applied to items of special tooling and special test equipment fabricated or acquired by the contractor. However, if the contractor’s accounting system is acceptable, and if maintaining detailed cost records results in excessive accounting cost or is otherwise impracticable, group pricing may be used for special tooling, special test equipment, and work-in-process in accordance with the contractor’s acceptable cost accounting system. All processed material, fabricated parts, components, and assemblies charged to the contractor’s work-in-process inventory, including items in temporary storage while awaiting processing, may be considered as work-in-process for this purpose.

(2) Government-furnished property. The Government shall determine and furnish to the contractor the unit price of Government-furnished property. Transportation and installation costs shall not generally be considered as part of the unit price for this purpose. Normally, the unit price of Government-furnished property will be provided on the document covering shipment of the property to the contractor. In the event the unit price is not provided on the document, the contractor will take action to obtain the information.

### 45.505-3 Records of material.

(a) General. All Government material furnished to the contractor, as well as other material to which title has passed to the Government by reason of allocation from contractor-owned stores or purchase by the contractor for direct charge to a Government contract or otherwise, shall be recorded in accordance with the contractor’s property control system and the requirements of this section.

(b) Consolidated stock record. When a contractor has more than one Government contract under which Government material is provided, a consolidated record for materials may be authorized by the property administrator, provided, the total quantity of any item is allocated to each contract by contract number and each requisition of material from contractor-owned stores is charged to the contract on which the material is to be used. The supporting document or issue slip shall show the contract number or equivalent code designation to which the issue is charged.

(c) Custodial records. The contractor shall maintain custodial records for tool crib items, guard force items, protective clothing, and other items issued to individuals for use in their work.

(d) Use of receipt and issue documents. (Note: This paragraph (d) does not apply to nonprofit organizations.) The property administrator may authorize the contractor to maintain, in lieu of stock records, a file of appropriately cross-referenced documents evidencing receipt, issue, and use of Government-provided material that is issued for immediate consumption and is not entered in the inventory record as a matter of sound business practice. This method of control may be authorized for—

(1) Material charged through overhead;

(2) Material under research and development contracts;

(3) Subcontracted or outside production items;

(4) Nonstock or special items;

(5) Items that are produced for direct charge to a contract, or are acquired and issued for installation upon receipt, and involve no spoilage; and

(6) Items issued from contractor-owned inventory direct to production or maintenance, etc.

(e) Material issued directly upon receipt. (Note: This paragraph (e) applies only to nonprofit organizations.)

(1) Under fixed-price contracts, the contractor’s documents evidencing receipt and issue will be accepted as property control records for Government-furnished material issued directly by the contractor upon receipt so as to be considered consumed under the contract.

(2) Under cost-reimbursement contracts, Government invoices, contractor’s purchase documents, or other evidence of acquisition and issue will be accepted as adequate property records for material furnished to or acquired by the contractor and issued directly so as to be considered consumed under the contract.

(f) Multicontract cost and material control. (Note: This paragraph (f) does not apply to nonprofit organizations.)

(1) Description and scope. A multicontract cost and material control system substitutes a system of financial accounting for the requirements for physical identification of Government material. The system operates as follows:

(i) The contractor may acquire, requisition, receive, store, and issue like items of material for the total requirements of all contracts involved in the system without identifying the material to each contract.

(ii) The contractor may commingle, during any stage of contract performance, Government-owned and contractor-owned material and work-in-process that was furnished, acquired, or produced for all Government contracts covered by the system, without physical segregation or identification to the individual contracts.

(iii) In lieu of physical segregation and identification to individual contracts, periodic calculation of requirements and distribution of costs to all contracts permits the allocation of costs of material to products delivered. This system, by reflecting the material expended to perform each contract at any stage in production, permits usage analysis to determine the reasonableness of consumption and expenditure of Government material.

(iv) The system may include all Government contracts of any type that involve common repetitive operations.

(v) The system does not require commingling of all common materials under all contracts. For example, items of Government-furnished material of high value or in short supply may be excluded from commingling and reserved for use in performing the contract under which furnished.

(vi) The contractor shall take physical inventories of material in stores included in the systems (other than work-in-process) at least annually, extend and reconcile prices to the quantitative balance for each item, and record adjustments in the stock record and financial inventory control accounts. Such physical inventories and adjustments, as well as equitable distribution to cost accounts of any inventory losses, shall be reviewed by and are subject to the approval of the property administrator.

(2) Criteria. A multicontract cost and material control system may be authorized if—

(i) The contractor demonstrates that adopting the system will result in savings or improved operations or that it will otherwise be in the Government’s interest;

(ii) The system is applied to existing Government contracts only and excludes materials acquired or costs incurred for non-Government work or in anticipation of future Government work; and

(iii) The contractor’s accounting system is adequate to—

(A) Provide on a complete and timely basis a clear “audit trail” from costs of materials acquired for each contract to materials used or disposed of on each contract;

(B) Reflect separately for Government-furnished and contractor-acquired material in stores (except work-in-process) the inventory balances as affected by receipts, issues, adjustments, and other dispositions;

(C) Determine unit costs for each identifiable part, component, subassembly, assembly, end item, and contract item;

(D) Calculate amounts for cost reimbursements and progress payments during the life of the contract by applying or allocating such unit costs developed through each stage of work-in-process to contract items for the requirements of each contract; and

(E) Assure that when Government material furnished for use under one contract is authorized for use on another contract, the initial contract receives credit.

(3) Authorization. The administrative contracting officer may authorize a contractor who is performing or will perform more than one Government contract to use the multicontract cost and material control system. The property administrator shall approve whatever detailed operating procedures are necessary for each system authorized.

(4) Requirement. Whenever a multicontract cost and material control system is authorized, the contractor’s financial accounts shall include all material in the system acquired or furnished for Government work and shall satisfy the requirements in subdivision (f)(2)(iii) of 45.505-3 of this section.

### 45.505-4 Records of special tooling and special test equipment.

(Note: The special tooling requirements of this subsection 45.505-4 do not apply to nonprofit organizations except for paragraph (c).)

(a) Unless summary records are used as authorized under 45.505-1(b), the contractor’s property control system shall provide the basic information listed in 45.505-1(a) regarding each item of Government-owned special tooling and special test equipment, including any general purpose test equipment incorporated as components in such a manner that removal and reuse may be feasible and economical.

(b) If the contractor uses group pricing of special tooling or special test equipment, as recognized in 45.505-2(b), unit prices may be computed when required.

(c) In the case of special tooling acquired or fabricated by nonprofit organizations or furnished by the Government to nonprofit organizations for research and development, the Government invoices, contractor’s purchase document, or other documents that evidence acquisition or issue will be accepted as adequate property control records.

(d) Records identifying special tooling and special test equipment shall include the identification number and item on which used.

(e) The contractor shall, when specified by the contract, identify and report special tooling and special test equipment by retention category (e.g., assembly tooling or critical tooling for spares or replacements).

### 45.505-5 Records of plant equipment.

(a) Unless summary records are used as authorized under 45.505-1(b), the contractor shall maintain individual item records for each item of plant equipment.

(b) In addition to the information required in 45.505-1, the contractor’s records of Government-owned plant equipment, regardless of value, shall include—

(1) Federal Supply Code for the manufacturer (as listed in Cataloging Handbook H4-1 and H4-2) available from the:

Superintendent of Documents
Government Printing Office (GPO)
Washington DC 20402

(2) Federal Supply Classification (Cataloging Handbooks H2-1, H2-2, and H2-3) (available from GPO); and

(3) The original manufacturer’s model or part number.

(c) For each item of Government-owned plant equipment having a unit cost of $5,000 or more, the contractor shall, in addition to the requirements of (b) of this section, include—

(1) Serial number and year built (when available);

(2) Government identification/tag number; and

(3) Acquisition and disposition document references and dates.

(d) The property administrator may determine that the information in (c)(1) and (2) of this subsection should be recorded in the property records for plant equipment costing less than $5,000.

(e) Accessory and auxiliary equipment shall be recorded on the record of the associated item of plant equipment. If the accessory or auxiliary item is not attached to, a part of, or acquired for use with a specific item of plant equipment, it shall be recorded either in an individual item record or in a summary stock record. When accessory and auxiliary items are permanently separated from the basic item of plant equipment, the unit price of the basic item shall be appropriately reduced.

### 45.505-6 Special reports of plant equipment.

An agency may set requirements for any special reports of plant equipment it determines necessary.

### 45.505-7 Records of real property.

(a) The contractor shall maintain an itemized record of the description, location, acquisition cost, and disposition of all Government real property (including unimproved real property); all alterations, all construction work, and sites connected with such alteration and construction, acquired by purchase, lease, or otherwise. These records, including maps, drawings, plans, specifications, and supplementary data where necessary, shall—

(1) Be complete;

(2) Show the original cost of the property and improvements and the cost of any changes and additions; and

(3) Be appropriately indexed.

(b) Costs incurred by the contractor or the Government for new construction, including erection, installation, or assembly of Government real property in possession of the contractor, shall be capitalized in the official Government real property records and financial accounts maintained by the contractor for the Government.

(c) Costs incurred for additions, expansions, extensions, conversions, alterations, and improvements, including applicable portions of capital maintenance, that increase the value, life, utility, capability, or serviceability of Government real property shall be capitalized.

(d) Costs incurred for portable buildings or facilities specifically constructed for tests that involve destruction of the facility shall not be capitalized in the Government real property records or financial accounts.

(e) Costs incurred for maintenance, repair, or rearrangement to maintain the Government real property in good physical condition, utility, capacity, or serviceability shall be charged to expense, and the real property records shall not be affected.

(f) When Government-owned real property is sold, transferred, donated, destroyed by fire or other cause, abandoned-in-place, or condemned, the financial accounts shall be reduced by the presently recorded cost and the real property records annotated with a supporting statement, including pertinent facts.

### 45.505-8 Records of scrap or salvage.

(a) The contractor shall maintain records of all scrap or salvage generated, except as provided in 45.507. These records shall conform to the contractor’s established system of scrap and salvage control approved by the property administrator.

(b) The contractor’s property control system shall provide the following information:

(1) Contract number, if practical, or equivalent code designation from which the scrap or salvage derived.

(2) Nomenclature or description of salvable items or classification (material content) of scrap.

(3) Quantity on hand.

(4) Posting reference and date of transaction.

(5) Disposition.

### 45.505-9 Records of related data and information.

The contractor shall maintain property control and accountability, in accordance with sound business practice, of manufacturing or assembly drawings; installation, operation, repair, or maintenance instructions; and other similar information furnished to the contractor by the Government or generated or acquired by the contractor under the contract and for which title vests in the Government. The requirements of this subpart do not otherwise apply to such property.

### 45.505-10 Records of completed products.

The contractor shall maintain a record of all completed products produced under a contract as follows:

(a) When there is no time lapse between Government inspection and acceptance of the completed products and shipment from the plant site, the records shall, as a minimum, consist of a summary of quantities accepted and shipped. When end items are accepted by the Government and stored with the contractor awaiting shipment, the record shall identify quantities stored, location, and disposition action.

(b) On contracts that provide for the contractor to retain completed products for further use under the contract or other contracts, such items shall be considered “Government-furnished property” upon acceptance and shall be recorded as required by this subpart.

(c) When completed products are returned to a contractor under the terms of a warranty clause, the contractor shall maintain, by contract, a record containing a description of the items involved, quantities received and returned to the Government, and other pertinent data necessary to determine that a proper accounting for all property has been made.

### 45.505-11 Records of transportation and installation costs of plant equipment.

(Note: This subsection 45.505-11 does not apply to nonprofit organizations.)

(a) Transportation costs.

(1) The contractor shall record within the property control system the transportation and installation costs directly borne by the Government for each item of Government-owned plant equipment with an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more. The administrative contracting officer may require the contractor to provide such recorded costs for use in computing rental charges.

(2) If transportation costs are not included in the price of equipment delivered, the contractor shall contact the property administrator for instructions for obtaining applicable freight data.

(b) Installation costs.

(1) When the contractor performs installation, the cost shall be computed in accordance with the contractor’s accounting system (if the system is acceptable for other contract cost determination purposes) and recorded in the property record.

(2) When installation is subcontracted, the contractor shall record the cost paid to the subcontractor in the property record.

(3) When installation costs are included in the price of equipment delivered to the using location, the property records should be so annotated.

### 45.505-12 Records of misdirected shipments.

The contractor’s property control system shall provide the following information regarding each misdirected shipment of Government property received:

(a) Identity of shipment, such as shipping document or bill of lading.

(b) Origin of shipment.

(c) Content (items in the shipment) per shipping documents, if available.

(d) Location.

(e) Disposition.

### 45.505-13 Records of property returned for rework.

(a) The contractor shall maintain quantitative records of property returned for processing to assure control from time of receipt through return of the items to the Government. The contractor shall establish item records under its property control system and shall include the information required in 45.505-1.

(b) The records shall specify the quantity of units returned to the Government and the quantity otherwise disposed of with proper authority.

### 45.505-14 Reports of Government property.

(a) The contractor’s property control system shall provide annually the total acquisition cost of Government property for which the contractor is accountable under each contract with each agency, including Government property at subcontractor plants and alternate locations. The following classifications (property classifications may be varied to meet individual agency needs) shall be reported:

(1) Land and rights therein.

(2) Other real property, including utility distribution systems, buildings, structures, and improvements thereto.

(3) Plant equipment.

(4) Special tooling.

(5) Special test equipment.

(6) Material.

(7) Agency peculiar property.

(b) The contractor shall report the information under paragraph (a) as directed by the contracting officer.

### 45.506 Identification.

(a) Upon receipt of Government property, the contractor shall promptly—

(1) Identify the property in accordance with agency regulations;

(2) Mark the property in accordance with this section; and

(3) Record the property in its property control records.

(b)(1) Except for the following, all Government property shall be marked with an indication of Government-ownership:

(i) Items issued to individuals for use in their work (e.g., protective clothing or tool crib tools) where adequate physical control is maintained over the items.

(ii) Property of a bulk type, or where its general nature of packing or handling precludes adequate marking.

(iii) Material that is commingled, as authorized by 45.507.

(iv) Where the property administrator agrees that marking is impractical.

(2) Exempted items shall be entered and described on the accountable property records.

(c)(1) In addition to marking with an indication of Government ownership, the following property shall be marked with a serial number in accordance with procedures approved by the property administrator:

(i) Special tooling.

(ii) Special test equipment.

(iii) Components of special test equipment that have an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more and are incorporated in a manner that makes removal and reutilization feasible and economical.

(iv) Plant equipment.

(v) Accessory or auxiliary equipment associated with a specific item of plant equipment that is recorded on the property records, if necessary to assure return with the associated basic item.

(2) The contractor shall record assigned numbers on all applicable documents pertaining to the property control system.

(3) If the property is included in a standard agency registration system, the contractor may use the property’s registration number as the serial number. The contractor should obtain the registration number through the property administrator from the owning agency.

(d) The markings in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section shall be (1) securely affixed to the property, (2) legible, and (3) conspicuous. Examples of appropriate markings are bar coding, decals, and stamping. If marking will damage the property or is otherwise impractical, the contractor shall promptly notify the property administrator and ask for the item to be exempted (see paragraph (b) of this section). Markings shall be removed or obliterated when Government property is sold, scrapped, or donated.

### 45.507 Segregation of Government property.

Government property shall be kept physically separate from contractor-owned property. However, when advantageous to the Government and consistent with the contractor’s authority to use such property, the property may be commingled—

(a) When the Government property is special tooling, special test equipment, or plant equipment clearly identified and recorded as Government property;

(b) When approved by the property administrator in connection with research and development contracts;

(c) When material is included in a multicontract cost and material control system (however, see 45.505-3(f));

(d) When—

(1) Scrap of a uniform nature is produced from both Government-owned and contractor-owned material and physical segregation is impracticable,

(2) Scrap produced from Government-owned material is insignificant in consideration of the cost of segregation and control, or

(3) Government contracts involved are fixed-price and provide for the retention of the scrap by the contractor; or

(e) When otherwise approved by the property administrator.

### 45.508 Physical inventories.

The contractor shall periodically physically inventory all Government property (except materials issued from stock for manufacturing, research, design, or other services required by the contract) in its possession or control and shall cause subcontractors to do likewise. The contractor, with the approval of the property administrator, shall establish the type, frequency, and procedures. These may include electronic reading, recording and reporting or other means of reporting the existence and location of the property and reconciling the records. Type and frequency of inventory should be based on the contractor’s established practices, the type and use of the Government property involved, or the amount of Government property involved and its monetary value, and the reliability of the contractor’s property control system. Type and frequency of physical inventories normally will not vary between contracts being performed by the contractor, but may vary with the types of property being controlled. Personnel who perform the physical inventory shall not be the same individuals who maintain the property records or have custody of the property unless the contractor’s operation is too small to do otherwise.

### 45.508-1 Inventories upon termination or completion.

(a) General. Immediately upon termination or completion of a contract, the contractor shall perform and cause each subcontractor to perform a physical inventory, adequate for disposal purposes, of all Government property applicable to the contract, unless the requirement is waived as provided in paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) Exception. The requirement for physical inventory at the completion of a contract may be waived by the property administrator when the property is authorized for use on a follow-on contract; provided, that—

(1) Experience has established the adequacy of property controls and an acceptable degree of inventory discrepancies; and

(2) The contractor provides a statement indicating that record balances have been transferred in lieu of preparing a formal inventory list and that the contractor accepts responsibility and accountability for those balances under the terms of the follow-on contract.

(c) Listings for disposal purposes. (Note: This paragraph (c) applies only to nonprofit organizations.)

(1) Standard items that have been modified may be described on listings for disposal purposes as standard items with a general description of the modification.

(2) Items that have been fabricated, such as test equipment, shall be described in sufficient detail to permit a potential user to determine whether they are of sufficient interest to warrant further inspection.

### 45.508-2 Reporting results of inventories.

The contractor shall, as a minimum, submit the following to the property administrator promptly after completing the physical inventory:

(a) A listing that identifies all discrepancies disclosed by a physical inventory.

(b) A signed statement that physical inventory of all or certain classes of Government property was completed on a given date and that the official property records were found to be in agreement except for discrepancies reported.

### 45.508-3 Quantitative and monetary control.

When requested by the contracting officer, the contractor’s reports of results of physical inventory shall be prepared on a quantitative and monetary basis and segregated by categories of property.

### 45.509 Care, maintenance, and use.

The contractor shall be responsible for the proper care, maintenance, and use of Government property in its possession or control from the time of receipt until properly relieved of responsibility, in accordance with sound industrial practice and the terms of the contract. The removal of Government property to storage, or its contemplated transfer, does not relieve the contractor of these responsibilities.

### 45.509-1 Contractor’s maintenance program.

(a) Consistent with the terms of the contract, the contractor’s maintenance program shall provide for—

(1) Disclosure of need for and the performance of preventive maintenance;

(2) Disclosure and reporting of need for capital rehabilitation; and

(3) Recording of work accomplished under the program.

(b) Preventive maintenance is maintenance performed on a regularly scheduled basis to prevent the occurrence of defects and to detect and correct minor defects before they result in serious consequences. An effective preventive maintenance program shall include at least—

(1) Inspection of buildings at periodic intervals to assure detection of deterioration and the need for repairs;

(2) Inspection of plant equipment at periodic intervals to assure detection of maladjustment, wear, or impending breakdown;

(3) Regular lubrication of bearings and moving parts in accordance with a lubrication plan;

(4) Adjustments for wear, repair, or replacement of worn or damaged parts and the elimination of causes of deterioration;

(5) Removal of sludge, chips, and cutting oils from equipment that will not be used for a period of time;

(6) Taking necessary precautions to prevent deterioration caused by contamination, corrosion, and other substances; and

(7) Proper storage and preservation of accessories and special tools furnished with an item of plant equipment but not regularly used with it.

(c) The contractor’s maintenance program shall provide for disclosing and reporting the need for major repair, replacement, and other capital rehabilitation work for Government property in its possession or control.

(d) The contractor shall keep records of maintenance actions performed and any deficiencies in the Government property discovered as a result of inspections.

### 45.509-2 Use of Government property.

(a) The contractor’s procedures shall be in writing and adequate—

(1) To assure that Government property will be used only for those purposes authorized in the contract and that any required approvals will be obtained, and

(2) To provide a basis for determining and allocating rental charges.

(b) With respect to plant equipment with an acquisition value of $5,000 or more, the procedures, as a minimum, shall—

(1) Establish a minimum level of use below which an analysis of need shall be made and retention justified, except for inactive plants and equipment retained for mobilization (the use level may be established for individual items or families of items, depending upon circumstances of use);

(2) Provide for recording authorized and actual use consistent with the established use levels;

(3) Require periodic analyses of production needs for plant equipment utilization based upon known requirements; and

(4) Provide for prompt reporting to the contracting officer of all plant equipment for which retention is not justified.

### 45.510 Property in possession of subcontractors.

The contractor shall require any of its subcontractors possessing or controlling Government property to adequately care for and maintain that property and assure that it is used only as authorized by the contract. The contractor’s approved property control system shall include procedures necessary for accomplishing this responsibility.

### 45.511 Audit of property control system.

The Government may audit the contractor’s property control system as frequently as conditions warrant. These audits may take place at any time during contract performance, upon contract completion or termination, or at any time thereafter during the period the contractor is required to retain such records. The contractor shall make all such records and related correspondence available to the auditors.