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Timber Treating

Industry Code: 25901

Compulsory

This classification involves the coating of wood with a preservative, including items such as fence posts, hydro poles, bridge timbers, and railroad ties.

Operation Details:

Some employers in this industry are involved only in dip-treating posts and poles. The product is immersed in a preservative solution in an open tank. Square cedar posts for fences are usually treated on one end only.

Another, more elaborate process uses large cylinders (often seven feet in diameter and 150 feet long). The ties, timbers, posts or poles to be treated are strapped to small rail carts then loaded into the cylinders. The timber is then subject to pressure and heat while being treated with the appropriate preservative. Following the prescribed time (which varies by product), the preservative solution is pumped out and the timber is then vacuum dried. The timber then leaves the cylinder and moved to a temporary storage area to drip dry. Pressure treaters usually have the capacity to peel, cut and incise their product using a variety of machinery and hand tools. Some pressure treaters will slightly modify the product by predrilling holes for hardware (sometimes installing hardware), cutting special ends and cutting out defective areas.

The two most common preservatives are Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) and Pentachlorophenol (Penta).

Underwriting Considerations:

Sawmills who treat their product should have their entire operations included under industry 25100, Sawmills. Likewise, post peeling operations do not require an additional industry for the treating of their posts. Sawmills, post and treating operations all occupy the same rate group.

Premium Rate History:

Activities:

Creosoting of Timber
Timber - Creosoting of
Preserving of Wood
Pressure Treating of Forest Products

Rate Group History:

A 1995 review of timber treating operations revealed there to be a very close relationship with sawmilling and post operations. As their previous rate group was determined to be too small to provided statistically credible rate setting data, treating operations were consolidated into the same rate group as sawmills and post operations.

This classification involves the coating of wood with a preservative, including items such as fence posts, hydro poles, bridge timbers, and railroad ties.

Premium Rate History:

Activities:

Creosoting of Timber
Timber - Creosoting of
Preserving of Wood
Pressure Treating of Forest Products

Operation Details:

Some employers in this industry are involved only in dip-treating posts and poles. The product is immersed in a preservative solution in an open tank. Square cedar posts for fences are usually treated on one end only.

Another, more elaborate process uses large cylinders (often seven feet in diameter and 150 feet long). The ties, timbers, posts or poles to be treated are strapped to small rail carts then loaded into the cylinders. The timber is then subject to pressure and heat while being treated with the appropriate preservative. Following the prescribed time (which varies by product), the preservative solution is pumped out and the timber is then vacuum dried. The timber then leaves the cylinder and moved to a temporary storage area to drip dry. Pressure treaters usually have the capacity to peel, cut and incise their product using a variety of machinery and hand tools. Some pressure treaters will slightly modify the product by predrilling holes for hardware (sometimes installing hardware), cutting special ends and cutting out defective areas.

The two most common preservatives are Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) and Pentachlorophenol (Penta).

Underwriting Considerations:

Sawmills who treat their product should have their entire operations included under industry 25100, Sawmills. Likewise, post peeling operations do not require an additional industry for the treating of their posts. Sawmills, post and treating operations all occupy the same rate group.

Rate Group History:

A 1995 review of timber treating operations revealed there to be a very close relationship with sawmilling and post operations. As their previous rate group was determined to be too small to provided statistically credible rate setting data, treating operations were consolidated into the same rate group as sawmills and post operations.