Plant quarantine inspectors face a wide variety of tasks on a daily basis in the inspection of regulated articles. To effectively accomplish this work, it is desirable for the inspectors to have a sound educational background in agriculture, general knowledge in trade and the environment and specific training in phytosanitary procedures used in compliance assurance. Harmonization of inspector training across the APPPC region will increase understanding and cooperation among National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) in the region. This standard lists most, if not all, of the areas of training for inspectors whilst recognizing that inspectors need specific training in regard to the areas in which they are responsible.
The standard, in describing subject areas for training of plant quarantine inspectors, aims to:
provide a sound basis for the development of competent and efficient plant quarantine inspectors;
achieve a consistent approach to training of inspectors across the APPPC region.
The NPPO should undertake to provide opportunities for training plant quarantine inspectors (IPPC Article IV.2h) in the appropriate subject areas listed below.
It is recognized that different countries (or different states or provinces within a country) may have different areas of concern and may focus on those phytosanitary areas considered to have the greatest potential need, use and benefit (e.g. different potential pathways for pests). NPPOs should provide suitable expertise and resources for the conduct of a training programme.
Each NPPO has to determine the most efficient way of training its staff. At present there are many methods used by different agencies. These include:
training at a special training institute
training at an existing educational institute with special courses
using training modules as part of a course, as stand-alone or self-study units
on the job training by NPPO officials in the home country or in another country.
Also, such training may involve the designing of training programmes for each inspector over a period of years. This is likely to involve continuing training as an officer’s job responsibilities change or new procedures are introduced.
Each training system should involve normal administration, including the identification of qualification levels, examination setting and marking and appropriate record keeping.
Some countries within the region have plant quarantine inspectors with multiple responsibilities - for plant health, animal health and food. In such cases, the training programme described in this standard covers only the plant health aspects of the training required.
It may be possible for countries of a region to share training opportunities and hence the costs of establishing training systems.
NPPOs are encouraged to consider the following subject areas for their training programmes. Some NPPOs have additional training modules relating to specific areas of operation. For example, training for inspectors who are to work at an airport may include aspects of aircraft, passenger and baggage clearance, garbage disposal, etc.
Training modules for plant quarantine inspectors may include the following aspects of human resource management.
These may include:
communication skills
interpersonal communication
dealing with clients
conflict management
cultural sensitivity
language skills
computer literacy
report writing
public awareness campaigns
taking legal statements
on the job training of other staff.
These may include training dealing with:
safety in the work place
dangerous work areas such as wharves and ship inspections
recognition and handling, where authorized, of hazardous materials
handling equipment
handling toxic and treated commodities
handling suspect packages and commodities
identification of safety signs and symbols
maintenance of equipment/facilities
application of quarantine treatments.
A basic knowledge of the biotic factors involved in plant health (e.g. insects, mites, arachnids, nematodes, molluscs, weeds, fungi, bacteria, viruses and allied entities) is essential. This also includes knowledge of how these pests may be carried with regulated articles and moved between countries. The basic information should include an understanding of the impact of pests on commercial production, the environment and human health.
Where inspectors act on behalf of other agencies, such as public health and sanitary agencies, in inspections for spiders, frogs and other hitch-hiker pests/contaminating pests, they may need appropriate training. This also applies where inspectors are involved with inspections relating to hull fouling and ballast water under the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).[2]
Inspectors need to be aware of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Agreement, the IPPC and relevant regional plant protection agreements, as well as the associated standard-setting activities of IPPC, CODEX, OIE and Regional Plant Protection Organizations. Inspectors need to have an understanding of the use of the terminology of the Glossary of phytosanitary terms (ISPM No. 5).
Inspectors need to be aware of the role of the IPPC in describing the responsibilities of NPPOs and contracting parties and the relevant ISPMs on commodity import and export certification.
Inspectors need to understand the basic principles of phytosanitary measures such as prevention, eradication, control/containment of quarantine pests. Inspectors should be aware of the Principles of plant quarantine as related to international trade (ISPM No. 1).
It is essential that inspectors are familiar with their national quarantine legislation, regulations and policies. They should understand the structure of the NPPO, their lines of reporting and know their powers, and their limitations, under the legislation. Inspectors may need to be aware of related legislation and regulations of other government agencies (e.g. customs, immigration, health, railways, civil aviation, post and telecommunication, port, airport and other border authorities).
Inspectors should understand the need for pest risk analysis, the components of risk assessment and risk management, and how the process is involved in the preparation of import requirements or export certification (ISPM No. 2: Guidelines for pest risk analysis and ISPM No. 11 Rev. 1: Pest Risk Analysis for quarantine pests including analysis of environmental risks).
Inspectors need to be aware of the risk assessment process associated with the introduction and spread of regulated pests on regulated articles.
Inspectors should be able to supervise/apply appropriate required risk management procedures.
Inspectors should be aware of regulated pests, both quarantine pests and regulated non-quarantine pests, that may threaten their domestic industries and the environment. This should involve knowledge of the origin and the major pathways of introduction of these pests and the risk of their introduction and spread. They should be able to report the finding of such pests.
Inspectors need to be able to recognize a variety of regulated articles in order to apply regulations correctly (e.g. fruit, vegetables, cereals, seeds, flowers, ornamentals), processed plant material, propagative material, forest produce (logs, lumber, manufactured articles), cane products, growing media.
Inspectors may also need to be aware of the operation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)[3] regarding endangered species and of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)[4] particularly in relation to the entry of invasive alien species that may threaten the environment.
Some countries may require inspectors to deal with documentation concerning living modified organisms (LMO) and issues relating to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity (Cartagena Protocol).[5]
Conveyance clearance (air, sea, land)
Inspectors need to be able to apply the procedures relating to phytosanitary clearance when a conveyance (aircraft, ship, train, truck, etc.) enters the country. These procedures may involve inspection, documentation checking, treatment, seizure, rejection, containment of risk items and garbage disposal.
Mail clearance
Inspectors should be familiar with the handling and screening process for mail and with the appropriate inspection techniques to detect regulated articles.
Cargo clearance
Procedures used include: documentation checking, inspection, applying/supervising any appropriate treatment, detention, destruction and refusal of entry. Inspectors should be able to apply entry clearance procedures for consignments of plant material and other regulated articles.
Passenger clearance
Inspectors should be trained in dealing with passengers and passenger baggages. This includes:
questioning skills for dealing with passengers
baggage inspection skills
profiling data to target inspections and other phytosanitary procedures
the use of effective liaison with the personnel of associated agencies
procedures for seizure, release and treatment of goods.
Inspectors should be able to check:
the requirements of the Guidelines for phytosanitary certification (ISPM No. 12) and Export certification system (ISPM No. 7) are implemented
compliance with the requirements of the importing country
the application of the export certification system of their own country.
Inspectors should be familiar with the phytosanitary documents relating to import, export and domestic movement of regulated articles. This may also include documentation relating to:
the import and release of biological control agents (ISPM No. 3: Code of conduct for the import and release of exotic biological control agents)
wood packaging materials (ISPM No. 15: Guidelines for regulating wood packaging material in international trade)
notification of non-compliance (ISPM No. 13: Guidelines for the notification of non-compliance and emergency action)
import requests and permits
regulated non-quarantine pests (ISPM No. 16: Regulated non-quarantine pests: concept and application)
declarations
CITES, in some countries.
Inspectors should be aware of appropriate procedures and protocols to liaise with relevant government agencies including:
customs
immigration
railways and civil aviation
communication, post and telecommunication
environment
health
banks
port, airport and any other border authorities as appropriate.
Inspectors should be familiar with the documentation and procedures to support prosecutions for deliberate non-compliance with phytosanitary regulations. Such non-compliance includes:
the smuggling of prohibited materials
erroneous entry or falsification of import permits (including false product descriptions)
phytosanitary certificates or other phytosanitary documents
breaking of quarantine seals on containers or packaging.
In countries where inspectors undertake prosecution, they may require appropriate training.
Inspectors may be trained to undertake audits of third-party service providers and audits of approved quarantine premises and facilities.
Inspectors should be trained in the use of various detection systems where they are used by NPPOs such as:
X-ray transmission imaging machines
scanners used for containers
thermal scanners for wood and logs
animal detectors
inspection at checkpoints.
Inspectors need to be familiar with sampling regimes for the inspection of different kinds and quantities of regulated articles. This will involve the determination of the sample size, the number of samples required, and the method of collection of samples from the different types and volumes of plant material or other regulated articles.
Inspectors need to be able to use different inspection techniques for different commodities and consignments such as bulk shipment, containers, various forms of packaging, bags, sacks or boxes, individual items, passenger baggage using the following methods:
visual examination including field inspections, monitoring, surveys
microscopic examination
electronic tests or analysis
analytical methods.
Inspectors need to be trained to be able to:
recognize the signs, symptoms and presence of pests associated with regulated articles
use diagnostic tools to aid in primary identification of biotic agents
collect and preserve specimens for submission to experts for identification
recognize weed seed contaminants and collect samples for submission to experts for identification
know where to refer specimens when special expertise is required
know how to deal with lack of definite diagnoses
recognize contamination of non-regulated articles with regulated articles.
Inspectors need to be trained in the use and supervision of those actions and treatments that may be required. These may include:
phytosanitary actions to
- hold
- prohibit entry
- destroy material (by burial or incineration)
- processing for a different end-use with negligible quarantine risk
treatments including:
- fumigation
- physical disinfestation using low temperatures, heat or irradiation
- chemical disinfestation.
Inspectors should be familiar with the principles and application of post-entry quarantine. Post-entry quarantine may be undertaken in authorized specially designed and secure glass-houses, isolated planting areas or using special monitoring programmes to observe the imported materials for the incidence of pests. Post-entry quarantine may have different degrees of security to deal with different levels of risk, for example:
high security using special secure facilities with diagnostic and destruction equipment
medium security using facilities which are audited by the NPPO.
Inspectors should be able to use correct procedures for handling material destined for post-entry quarantine.
Inspectors need to be familiar with procedures for detecting new pests, such as pest surveillance and control, containment and eradication procedures.
|
[2] United Nation’s
Specialized Agency responsible for improving maritime safety and preventing
pollution from ships. [3] Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, 1973. UNEP, Geneva. CITES aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. [4] Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992. CBD, Montreal. The CBD has as its objectives the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. [5] Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2000. CBD, Montreal. The Cartagena Protocol aims to ensure that an adequate level of protection is provided for the safe transfer, handling and use of LMOs resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. |
