3 July 2013

Who does this notice affect?

This Notice is for all fumigation treatment providers in Australia and overseas who perform methyl bromide treatments for quarantine purposes on consignments imported to, or, exported from Australia.

What has changed?

The DAFF Methyl Bromide Fumigation Standard has been amended to permit quarantine fumigations, done in accordance with the Standard, to be performed in shipping containers without the need for pressure testing or sheeting, provided certain conditions are met. These changes have arisen from the results of trials commissioned by DAFF to test if the requirements for pressure testing of containers were unnecessarily restrictive.

Previously the main concern was the potential for excessive leakage through the floor of the container which, even if identified, could not be rectified without adequate access to the underside of the container. The trials demonstrate that changes to the construction of containers, specifically, the use of single sheets of plywood sealed in place, has resulted in a significant and consistent improvement in the gas-tightness of container floors. Provided the fumigator inspects the container for damage, seals the vents, thoroughly checks and rectifies any leaks around the door seals and creates a suitable barrier to prevent airflow under the container good gas retention can be expected. Irrespective of the type of enclosure used, monitoring of fumigant concentrations remain mandatory to verify that gas retention meets or exceeds the requirements.

There are a number of other minor changes to the Standard to reflect the major changes to the enclosure requirements and/or to improve readability and clarity. You can download a copy of the updated Standard and find details of all the changes on the DAFF website.

Further information

For further information on this issue please contact the International Arrangements Program by email or phone +61 2 6272 3991.