As the worm turns.

If you build or repair wooden boxes, crates, pallets, skids, dunnage or other wood packing used for shipping, make sure your wood packing materials are cut from heated-treated (HT) lumber. Otherwise, your shipment may not reach its destination. Here's why:

There's a microscopic roundworm called the pinewood nematode that bores into trees. Left unchecked, it can infest and kill whole forests.

This wood-boring worm could end up in the lumber you use for wood packaging. If you ship infested packaging CONUS or OCONUS, you're helping to spread the roundworm and its infestation.

The lumber mill that heat-treats the lumber will stamp it with HT. That little marking tells you it meets the standards for wood packaging materials. It's OK to use.

Getting Heat-treated Lumber

If you purchase locally, make sure the lumber is marked HT.

If you order from DLA, write in the remarks box of the requisition: heat-treated lumber only. When the lumber arrives, look for the HT marking.

For information on DLA's lumber and wood products, go to the Wood Products page on the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia $91 website: http://www.dscp.dla.mil/gi/general/pglum.htm

You can even download a lumber and wood products catalog from the same website:

http://www.dscp.dla.mil/gi/general/woodcat.pdf

The catalog includes NIINs, MIL-Specs, types of wood, suggestions for typical use, and information on board lengths, widths and thicknesses.

Certification Requirements and Markings

If you build wood packaging from scratch, or if you use dunnage, you're required to become certified prior to marking the finished product with one set of certification markings. If you receive packing that's already stamped with markings, don't stamp it again unless you have to repair it. After repair, paint over the old certification markings and stamp it with your own.

You'll need rubber stamps with the certification markings. You must be certified to use the IPPC stamps. Contact the Logistic Support Activity (LOGSA) Packaging, Storage, and Containerization Center (PSCC) for information on certification and stamps:

Phone DSN 795-7105 or [phone]. Or send an email to:

PT @ tobyhanna.army.mil

You may need to get two different stamps: one to stamp wooden boxes, crates, pallets and skids, and another stamp with DUN on it to mark dunnage.

You'll also need a stamp pad and black ink. NSN 7510-00-526-1741 brings a 3 1/4-in x 6 1/4-in pad. Get a 2-oz plastic bottle of ink with NSN 7510-00-161-4237.

(1) Approved international symbol for wood packing material that conforms to these standards.

(2) Two-letter code for country of manufacture.

(3) The DODACC of the unit who built or repaired the wood packing.

(4) Two-letter code specifying lumber treatment. The code should always be HT.

(5) Indicates that the lumber is being used as dunnage. Otherwise, leave blank.

(6) Indicates that the product is made by a DOD activity.

* The need for heat-treatment applies only to lumber used to build and repair boxes, crates, pallets, skids and dunnage. Plywood, particle board and other manufactured wood products do not require heat-treatment.

* The guidelines apply both to soft and hard woods and to import (CONUS) and export (OCONUS) shipments.

* Dunnage inside a wooden crate or box must be stamped with certification markings. But it does not have to be stamped with DUN to indicate dunnage. Dunnage inside ISO or MILVAN containers must be stamped with certification markings that include DUN to indicate dunnage.

* Since 16 Sep 2005, authorities at domestic and foreign ports and air terminals can refuse to forward shipments that use wood packaging materials lacking the proper certification markings. They'll return those shipments to port or terminal of origin.