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TIMBER PRODUCTS August 2021 HT Newsletter Volume: 08/09/2021
Online Newsletter
Matt McGowan - WPM Program Manager
mmcgowan@tpinspection.com
mmcgowan@tpinspection.com
Office: 770.785.4769
Mobile: 678.480.2451
Mobile: 678.480.2451
For more information on the IPPC program
Please contact:
Matt McGowan
WPM Program Manager
Peachtree City GA
Office 770.785.4769
Mobile 678.480.2451
The unauthorized and/or fraudulent use of the TP IPPC mark is illegal and a situation we take seriously. Anyone with information regarding the misuse of IPPC marks should contact TP's WPM Manager immediately. Thank you for helping to protect the integrity of the ISPM 15 program which is vital to our business and economy.
Wisdom From Our Founding Fathers - John Marshall
"To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well."
"The constitution controls any legislative act repugnant to it."
"The Constitution is colorblind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens."
"A legislative act contrary to the Constitution is not law."
"The government of the United States has been emphatically termed a government of laws, and not of men. It will certainly cease to deserve this high appellation, if the laws furnish no remedy for the violation of a vested legal right."
"What are the maxims of Democracy? A strict observance of justice and public faith, and a steady adherence to virtue."
"In a free government almost all other rights would become worthless if the government possessed power over the private fortune of every citizen."
"The judicial power does not include a right to change the constitution."
Maintaining Conformance in Challenging Times
There is no question about the many challenges faced by facilities in today's business environment. Maintaining conformance in the IPPC program is certainly one of these. Problems maintaining conformance can be the result of several factors, but these can be minimized with comprehensive training and an oversight program.
A well trained labor force is necessary to ensure quality levels are preserved, but employee turnover has been a big issue in maintaining quality control on many levels and the IPPC program has been no exception to this. It is a constant challenge to keep employees trained in IPPC requirements which allows for conformance related to bark, mark legibility, obliteration, and heat chambers to be met. While we completely understand this issue, conformance is still required. We see many ways this is accomplished at facilities and no one process fits every facility working to reach conformance. However, we do see some common ways that success is achieved.
Having a strong internal training program is one way to help prevent conformance issues. This can be in the form of short classroom style training sessions in a breakroom, using the TP training modules on our website, followed by on-the-job implementation of the training received. Having a knowledgeable QC person in place working with employees to develop good quality control practices and implementation of what was learned earlier helps many facilities attain better conformance in the IPPC program.
Also, establishing areas for quality review through the manufacturing process has proven to be effective. This can include check points where more seasoned employees review WPM for conformance before moving to the next stage in the process. Having a system in place that identifies which employee was involved with WPM determined to be non-conforming helps to identify individuals that require additional training. Once the WPM is fully manufactured, an area can be established to provide final approval for conformance before being placed in a finished goods location as ready-to-ship and ready-for-review for conformance by TP or ALSC. In this situation, it is best to create an addendum showing these areas of review along with the finished goods area so there is a clear understanding of where the delineations between in process and finished goods are located.
Finally, having a check list of IPPC issues for someone to use to review material against also helps maintain conformance. This is typically performed at the end of the quality control process, so material that is approved as finished goods can then be staged as ready-to-ship or be reviewed for conformance by TP or ALSC.
These are only a few suggestions on how conformance can be met. As stated, every facility needs to determine what quality control processes are most effective and efficient for their operation. The important thing is to have one in place to ensure the IPPC requirements are consistently met.
