ISPM-15 Heat Treating

ISPM 15 stands for the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No.15. They are a set of regulations which were set up to help prevent the spread of pests and diseases through the use of wood in packaging materials used in international trade. ISPM 15 states a set of criteria that must be met when using any wood as packaging, such as a box, crate, pallet, dunnage or drums when shipping products internationally.

The regulations require that all non-exempt wood packaging material, (be it hardwood or softwood), must be heat treated to the core for 30 minutes at 56 degrees Celsius or be fumigated with Methyl Bromide. Only then may the quality treatment mark be applied, but only by a business which has been previously approved by an accredited inspection agency.

All wood used for wood packaging materials needs to be debarked before being fumigated or heat treated. This is to prevent the wood becoming re-infested with pests while it is waiting to be made into packaging, or even after manufacture. Once the wood packaging material has been treated and the quality mark applied, it does not require any further treatment, unless it is repaired or becomes re-infested.