Heat treatment and marking

What heat treatment means here

Under ISPM 15, heat treatment is a defined process applied to the timber, carried out by an operator authorised for the purpose, after which the approved mark may be applied. It is a process control on the wood, not a coating, dip or spray applied to a finished pallet by whoever ships it.

That is why treatment cannot be added retrospectively by an exporter or a distributor. If a movement requires treated and marked timber, the pallets must already be treated and marked by an authorised operator.

Reading a marked pallet

• The mark identifies the country, the authorised operator and the treatment code.
• It should be legible and permanent; illegible marks cause questions at inspection.
• A mark on one component does not vouch for components added later during repair.
• Marks on packaging you receive inbound are evidence about that packaging only.

Re-use, repair and mixed pools

Most operational pools mix pallets of different ages and histories. If some are marked and some are not, an export movement needs the marked stock segregated in advance — sorting at the loading bay under time pressure is where mistakes happen.

Where pallets are repaired in-house, the treatment and marking implications need to be established before the repair programme starts, not after a consignment has been refused.

Our position

We do not claim treatment registration or authorisation on this website. If your requirement needs treated and marked timber, we will say what would have to be confirmed and evidenced before despatch, in writing, for your specific enquiry.