ARCH Wood Protection South Africa has praised the National Regulator for Compulsory Specification (NRCS) for seizing R1 million worth of illegally treated timber and described this as a big win for the treated timber industry.
“We are pleased to see the regulator taking such a firm stand on illegally treated timber that is currently flooding the market as a cheaper alternative to quality pressure treated timber. This is a big step forward in protecting the industry and all its stake holders against substandard products,” said JJ du Plessis, Senior Business Manager at the Port Shepstone-based wood treatment chemical manufacturing company.
Du Plessis said that the industry had always strived to introduce robust standards that protect the end-user, but over the last few years they have seen higher levels of activity by groups that choose to operate outside the standards and regulations that govern the industry. This, he said, had caused substantial reputational damage to the legal timber industry and had a negative impact on the long-term vision of many treaters.
“We also commend the South African Wood Preservers Association (SAWPA) and the NRCS for ensuring ongoing collaboration to ensure that treated timber remains part of a sustainable way forward in South Africa. This multi-pronged collaboration amongst important stakeholders will ensure that high quality remains the hallmark of our industry.”
Du Plessis said that as a responsible and key supplier to the industry, his company endeavoured to educate and support its clients on the importance of treating to specification and only supplying the industry with quality treated timber.
The company has done extensive work over the years to highlight the critical role that quality plays in safeguarding the interests of the end-user and to also highlight the negative impact of using substandard cheap dip treated timber. Furthermore, he said, an electronic QMS (Tan-Treat) has been developed to help customers monitor and manage their timber treatment processes and end-users are reminded of the importance of only buying from a reputable supplier.
“While the firm stand taken by the NRCS marks a turning point for quality, we encourage end-users, treaters and suppliers of raw materials to remain vigilant because this is not the end of unscrupulous parties who want to make quick money at the cost and reputation of our entire industry”.
