Heat-treated pallets: what changes in the build

01 Process, not frame

A block pallet and a stringer pallet can both be HT. The frame decides how forks enter and how stiff it is. The treatment decides whether the pallet can go overseas. The two choices are independent, and the request should list them separately.

02 What the process requires

1. Debark the wood first. Bark under 3 cm wide, or under 50 square cm if wider, is allowed.
2. Heat the core to at least 56 C (133 F).
3. Hold for at least 30 minutes.
4. Apply the ISPM 15 mark.

03 What it does not do

It does not make the wood mould-proof. HT pallets loaded into trailer vans while still hot are susceptible to mould. Moisture below 20% is the working threshold. The moisture guide covers storage.

04 Build and treatment together

05 When it is asked for

• Freight leaving the country.
• Buyers whose own rules require it.
• Cold storage where pests are a concern.
• Any shipper that wants one pallet type for all lanes.

06 Verification at receipt

A receiving clerk can check that each pallet carries a legible mark, that the code looks consistent across the shipment and that no replacement boards break the pattern. Written notes from the supplier help in a dispute.

07 Treatment variants

Heat treatment comes in several variants: standard chamber, kiln-dried, mobile truck-based, portable chamber and fast container connector. Methyl bromide fumigation is done in a container or under a tent, each followed by a 24-hour quarantine. In Australia the standard was adopted on 1 July 2010; the European Union adopted ISPM 15 in March 2005 and the United States and Canada in September 2005.