TIMBER PRODUCTS February 2023 HT Newsletter Volume: 02/02/2023

New Year / New Forms

Now that we are in the new year, it is a good time to update your forms for 2023.  These forms are located on our website at  https://www.tpinspection.com/auditing-services/export-wood-packaging and click on the "Documents" tab at the top of the page to access them. From there, they can be printed and used to document the required record keeping information for the WPM program.

Use the "Verification of HT Lumber Received" monthly form to record the volumes of heat treated (HT) lumber recevied.  Keep backup information (B/L's, Invoices, etc.) with this so the numbers shown on the form can be verified.

The "Verification of WPM and Dunnage Shipped" monthly form is used to document the board footage any WPM and dunnage the facility applied their IPPC or DUN mark to.  If an IPPC or DUN mark is not applied, the related footage should not be counted even if you built it solely from received HT material.  If a facility is applying its IPPC mark to WPM built exclusively from HT received material and also heat treating onsite applying its IPPC mark to this WPM as well, two seperate records must be kept as these are separate categories of IPPC marked WPM.  This is important so it can be verified that the board footage of IPPC marked WPM built only from HT received material does not exceed the HT board footage received. 

The "Verification of HT Lumber Shipped" is a separate monthly form to complete if you are using the HT mark on material you are shipping.  

At the beginning of each new month, the previous month's information should be transferred to the "Annual Summary BF Totals" form (example above). This will assist the TP or ALSC Inspector in checking the facility's numbers for accuracy.  Make certain to maintain the backup information for the Inspector to verify the numbers documented on the forms. This backup information would include bills of lading, invoices, and other documentation that verifies the HT and WPM numbers documented are accurate. Also, when starting this form each year, make certain to add the residual HT board footage (BF) inventory from the previous year to ensure that later on you do not end up in a situation where it appears more IPPC marked BF shipped than HT material received.  Inspectors may perform a more thorough review and can ask for the monthly back up information for the full two year timeframe a facility is required to keep this information.  

Keep in mind that these forms are meant to cover any scenario a facility may have and because of this, your facility may not need to complete the entire form.  Ask your Inspector regarding any questions you have in this area.

It is very important to keep all forms current.  Missing more than a month in documenting this information will result in a non-conformance.

ALSC Covid-19 Exception for Virtual Inspections Rescinded

The below ALSC letter dated December 24, 2022 fully rescinds the option of performing a virtual inspection due to COVID.  

"On April 24, 2020, the American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC) Board of Review and Executive Committee adopted Best Practice guidelines to address inspections during times when traditional inspections may not be available due to restrictions put in place as a result of the spread of COVID-19. As part of the Best Practice guidelines, virtual visits were permitted in limited circumstances on a temporary basis to reflect the numerous recommended and mandatory restrictions on travel and inter-personal interactions at that time. Since the implementation of the Best Practice guidelines, most COVID-19-related travel restrictions and social distancing recommendations have been eliminated or eased.

In light of the current environment related to travel and social-distancing requirements, the ALSC Board of Review and Executive Committee have determined that virtual inspection visits are no longer considered acceptable substitutions for in-person inspections. In order to meet the applicable minimum requirements for visits under PS-20 and/or applicable ALSC Enforcement Regulations, an accredited agency must perform such visits in person; a “virtual” visit will not be considered to count toward any required minimum number of visits under ALSC’s programs. To the extent that the Best Practices guidelines allowed an agency not to make in-person visits to facilities and/or allowed facilities to refuse direct access to agency representatives during the COVID-19 health emergency, such permission will no longer be considered to be in effect as of January 1, 2023.

ALSC staff, the Board of Review, and the Executive Committee will continue to monitor public health pronouncements and will be prepared to revise its guidance in the future as warranted."

David E. Kretschmann, President
American Lumber Standard Committee, Inc.

If there are any questions related to this, please contact our office.