Euro pallet glossary

The vocabulary of EPAL pallets and wood packaging rules, defined from the source documents.

Document
IDX-GLS
Sheet
Index
Last reviewed
Sources
3 cited

All sheets

SheetSummary
48 × 40 palletThe standard North American pallet footprint and how it compares with the euro pallet.
Block palletHow block pallets like the EPAL 1 are built, and how they differ from stringer pallets common in North America.
Box palletWhat the EPAL box pallet is, its capacity and ratings, and how it differs from flat pallets.
ChamferWhy EPAL pallets have chamfered bottom boards and which edges carry the bevel.
CP palletsThe nine EPAL CP pallet types, their footprints and how to tell them apart.
Debarked woodThe ISPM 15 bark tolerance for pallet timber, with the exact size limits.
Dielectric heating (DH)What the DH treatment code means, how microwave and radio-frequency treatment works under ISPM 15, and how rare it is on pallets.
DunnageWhat dunnage is under ISPM 15, why regulators treat it as high-risk, and how it must be marked.
EPALWho the European Pallet Association is, what it licenses and why this site is not part of it.
EPAL exchange poolHow the open exchange pool for EPAL pallets works, and why it barely reaches North America.
EPAL licenseeWhat an EPAL licence allows a producer or repairer to do, and how to tell licensed work on a pallet.
Euro palletWhat "euro pallet" means in North American trade, how it differs from an EPAL pallet, and the dimensions behind the name.
Exchange palletWhat makes a pallet exchangeable under EPAL rules and which conditions take it out of exchange.
Floor positionWhat a floor position is in a load plan and how this site counts them.
Half palletThe 800 × 600 mm EPAL 6 and EPAL 7 half pallets, how they differ and where they are used.
Handling clearanceWhy our load tables show a second count with clearance, and the allowance we use.
Heat treatment (HT)What HT on a pallet stamp means, the temperature and time ISPM 15 requires, and why EPAL insists on it.
High cube containerHow a high cube container differs from a standard one, and what it changes for pallet loads.
IPPC markThe bordered wheat-ear mark that shows a wooden pallet was treated to ISPM 15, and how to read each part.
ISPM 15The international standard for wood packaging in trade, what it requires and how it shows up on a pallet.
Kiln dryingHow kiln drying relates to ISPM 15 heat treatment and EPAL moisture limits on new pallets.
MCH suitabilityWhat the MCH marking on EPAL's classification poster means for automated warehouses.
Methyl bromide (MB)What MB on a pallet stamp means, the ISPM 15 fumigation limits, and why EPAL bans it on EPAL pallets.
NPPOWhat a national plant protection organisation is and why its code appears in every ISPM 15 mark.
Processed woodWhich wood products ISPM 15 exempts as processed wood, and why plywood pallets carry no mark.
Quality classificationEPAL's classes for used Euro pallets, what they are based on and when they apply.
Reefer containerWhy refrigerated containers carry fewer pallets, with the dimensions we use.
Remanufactured palletWhen a repaired pallet becomes remanufactured under ISPM 15 and what that means for its mark.
Repaired palletWhat counts as a repaired pallet under ISPM 15 and under EPAL rules, and the marks each requires.
Residual moistureWhat residual moisture means for pallet timber and the limit EPAL gives for new Euro pallets.
Safe working loadWhat the safe working load on an EPAL pallet means, the published figures by type, and what it does not cover.
Stacking loadHow much an EPAL pallet at the bottom of a block stack may carry, and the published figures.
Stringer boardThe boards that tie an EPAL pallet's blocks together, and the rules EPAL sets for them.
Sulphuryl fluoride (SF)What the SF treatment code means and how sulphuryl fluoride fumigation fits ISPM 15.
Wood packaging materialThe ISPM 15 term for pallets, crates and dunnage, and which wooden items are exempt.

Sources

Last reviewed . Figures come from these publications; follow the links for the current versions.

  1. ISPM 15, Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade (adopted 2018, published 2019), IPPC Secretariat / FAO
  2. EPAL Euro pallet (EPAL 1), load-carrier page, European Pallet Association e.V.
  3. EPAL Quality Classification poster (edition 08/2023), European Pallet Association e.V.

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