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TIMBER PRODUCTS November 2024 HT Newsletter Volume: 11/01/2024
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
Director of Wood Packaging
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.
Quotes of the Month - Dennis Prager
Of all the characteristics needed for both a happy and morally decent life, none surpasses gratitude. Grateful people are happier, and grateful people are more morally decent.
Goodness is about character - integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people.
As you get older and wiser you realize that when people are given anything without having to earn it (unless they are physically or mentally utterly incapable of earning anything), they become ungrateful and lazy. They also become less happy.
Socialism values equality more than liberty.
Happiness is dependent on self-discipline. We are the biggest obstacles to our own happiness. It is much easier to do battle with society and with others than to fight our own nature.
Complaining not only ruins everybody else's day, it ruins the complainer's day, too. The more we complain, the more unhappy we get.
To be told that one can be dependent on one's parents until age 26 should strike a young person who wants to grow up as demeaning, not as something to celebrate.
Much of the world's moral compass is broken. The moral north reads south and the moral south reads north.
The biggest obstacle to people becoming better is that you have to really want to be a good person in order to be a better person, and most people would rather be other things.
There is so much to be thankful for and we wish everyone a safe and blessed holiday. Our offices in Peachtree City will be closed November 28th & 29th so we can spend time with our families. Our offices will re-open on December 2nd. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to be of service to you in the WPM program.
Quality Mark Protocol
The importance of mark security cannot be overstated. It is crucial to the integrity of the IPPC program in every country including the U.S. ALSC regulation 5.6.12 provides direction related to managing mark inventories and states:
5.6.12 "Quality marks shall only be used at facilities or by personnel authorized by accredited agencies. Accredited agencies shall require a participating facility to provide care and security of the agency quality marks. An accredited agency shall retain on file a facsimile of each quality mark issued, require worn out or discarded quality marks to be destroyed, and require missing or stolen quality marks be reported to the agency. An accredited agency shall have an ongoing practice of reporting and reviewing stamp inventories, generally monthly, to ensure reconciliation in agency records regarding the types and number of stamps issued to each facility."
Every accredited agency is responsible for the control of all IPPC, DUN, and HT marks that are licensed and issued to a facility for use. These marks can come in several forms (i.e. stamps, brands, stencils, inkjet) and the accredited agency must retain, on file, an image of each type and size of mark issued to every facility it monitors for conformance. It is important that the requirements of Section 5.6.12 are properly communicated to facilities participating in the program, so they are aware of how all marks should be managed. These requirements are:
- All marks are site specific and cannot be removed from the location they are assigned to unless agency approval is first received.
- Facilities must ensure the care and security of all marks issued to them.
- An accurate inventory of all program marks must be maintained and the inventory reconciled as new marks are received by the facility or retrieved by the agency due to wear or damage. Facilities must hold and turn in any damaged or worn out quality marks to the agency. Marks should never be discarded or destroyed by the facility.
- Missing or stolen marks must be reported to the agency.
When an Inspector visits a facility to perform an audit, they must be given access to all marks onsite. This includes the marks in use, new marks securely retained in inventory to replace those that wear out, and any marks being held for retrieval. The Inspector will reconcile the facility inventory based on new marks received and any marks retrieved at the time of visit. Anytime a mark turns up missing or is believed to have been stolen, the situation should be immediately reported to the agency, so they can address the issue quickly. If a facility fails to follow these protocols, it can result in a non-conformance or more serious action can be taken based on the severity of the situation.
It is very important that facilities properly manage the inventory of IPPC, DUN and HT marks they have in their possession. These marks are highly regulated by the USDA and it is critical that every mark, a facility has in its possession, is accounted for each day. ALSC is concerned about mark inventories and mark security because a lost, misplaced or stolen mark can end up in the hands of those who may misuse it and illegally apply the mark to WPM that is not IPPC conforming.
Maintaining an accurate and secure inventory of WPM program quality marks is crucial to the integrity of the IPPC program and is a major component of each facility's conformance and good standing in the program.