Dunnage is a term for off-cut or spare pieces of scrap wood. "Dunnage" is a common word throughout many trades in New Zealand, Australia, The Americas, and Britain such as welding, carpentry, building construction, etc. Dunnage is used to support loads and prop tools and materials up off the ground such as jacks, pipes, and supports for air conditioning and other equipment above the roof of a building.

In waterfront ship-loading usage "dunnage" means packing (wood, or nowadays sometimes strong inflatable bags) to prevent damage to ships and cargo.

International Laws

When unloading a ship, sometimes there is a problem as to what do with the dunnage. Sometimes the dunnage cannot be landed because of customs duties on imported timber, or quarantine rules to avoid foreign insect pests getting onshore, and as a result often the unwanted dunnage is later furtively jettisoned over side and adds to the area's driftwood problem. According to U.S. and International Law (MARPOL73/78) it is illegal for ships to dump dunnage within 25 nautical miles (46 km) of the shore. Presently, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), an international regulatory agency, mandates its 134 signatory countries ^[1] to comply with the ISPM 15, which requires all dunnage to be heat treated or fumigated for pesticides and marked with an accredited seal.

Truck and Railcar Dunnage

Often called Dunnage Air Bags. Originally rubber bags were used to brace pallets inside trucks. They later evolved into Kraft Paper bags with a plastic bag interior. As the use of metal strapping became less popular, many companies now use polyethylene or vinyl- based bags because of their low cost. Dunnage Air Bags are a type of inflatable packaging.

Dunnage may include plastic films, jute coverings, tarpaulins, wood (wooden dunnage), rice matting, nonwovens, liner bags or also inlets etc.. Depending on the use to which it is put, dunnage may be divided into floor, lateral, interlayer and top dunnage.

Starting in the 1950s, several U.S. railroad freight carriers started rostering boxcars equipped with special loaders to help negate the use of customer-supplied dunnage. These cars were usually labeled as "Dunnage Free" or simply carried a large "DF" to advertise their built-in dunnage solution.

Pack Animals

Outfitters and mule packers use the term dunnage when they transport freight, such as camping gear and food supplies, but do not carry passengers.

See also

• Dunny, Australian outhouse or toilet

External links

• Dunnage
• Dunnage History

References

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Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Dunnage". Image Credit.

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