Plant Healthy Certification Scheme Manual - Version 1.3

Released on 1st July 2025 - This document sets out technical and compliance information that a Plant Healthy Scheme applicant or member will require for auditing purposes.

Plant Healthy Certification Scheme Manual and the Plant Health Management Standard (PHMS) Version 1.3 – minor update

This cover document summarises the notable updates to the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme Manual. The list of changes below covers: (i) changes to the PHMS agreed at the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting on 28 Nov 2023, (ii) necessary regulatory updates (iii) general improvements from feedback from ongoing scheme management (iv) changes as a result of the TAG review process conducted over the period 15th May - 2nd June 2025.

◦ Introduction

- P2: Chair’s opening letter – updated for version 1.3.

- P4: Scopes of Certification – addition of a new ‘Trader’ scope.

- P4: Multiple sites / scopes - clarity added to text re: enterprises with multiple sites and/or multiple scopes of certification.

- P7: Under heading (3) Non-conformances - addition of time periods to address non-conformances.

◦ Plant Health Management Standard

- P8: Definitions • edits / additions re: notifiable pests, detections, interceptions, incursions and outbreaks.

- P8: Addition of a new requirement - 1.1 Registration as a Professional Operator

- P9: Requirement 1.2 Plant Passports • Renumbered – previously 1.1 • under the requirement - add ‘according to the rules applicable to the relevant country or countries’ • Updates to text under requirements relating to UK, GB and Northern Ireland Plant Health Label (NIPHL) • under guidance - new links.

- P10: Requirement 1.3 Phytosanitary Certificates • Renumbered – previously 1.2 • under requirements - update re: NIPHL • under guidance - new links.

- P10: Requirement 1.4 Forest Reproductive Material (FRM) • Renumbered – previously 1.3

- P11: Requirement 1.5 Notifiable Pest Interceptions or Outbreaks • Renumbered – previously 1.4 • addition of ‘incursion’ to the text of the requirement • under requirements – add ‘and suspected pests’ re: isolating and containing the affected plants • under guidance – additional text relating to plant health authorities.

- P11: Requirement 1.6 Other Statutory Requirements • Renumbered – previously 1.5 • under how this is assessed – add ‘Records of compliance with any statutory plant health notices’ • under guidance - new links.

- P12: Requirement 1.7 Wood Packaging Material • Renumbered – previously 1.6 • under requirements – add and ‘other WPM’/’and other products’ • under how this is assessed – add ‘Personnel awareness and implementation of the management processes’ • under guidance – add information on ISPM and international movements.

- P13: Requirement 2.1 Plant Biosecurity Policy • under how this is assessed - add ‘signed by most the senior person’.

- P17: Requirement 5.1 Supply Chain Management • under requirements - add that the list of all approved suppliers ‘..is accessible by relevant staff‘ • under how this is assessed – add list of approved suppliers ‘(that are reviewed on an annual basis)’ • under guidance – add link to Plant Healthy membership directory.

- P18: Requirement 6.2 Growing media and soil • edit requirement to include ‘..manures and mulches’ • under guidance – include coir bark, wood fibre and pot toppers as examples.

- P20: Requirement 6.6 Waste treatment and disposal • edit requirement to include ‘..and treated accordingly’ • under guidance – add ‘..and/or exemptions’ re: relevant permits • under guidance – add ‘Records (e.g. duration and temperatures reached) will help ensure and demonstrate that composting processes are effective.’

- P22 - 23: Requirement 7.2 Traceability (chain of custody) • under guidance – add ‘The system should identify where plant material is sourced from (e.g. seed or mother plants) and if and when batches of live plants have been split for either the purposes of production or dispatch.’

- P24: Requirement 8.2 Self-assessment • under guidance – re: self-assessment tool on Plant Healthy website add ‘This system can be used to conduct a self-assessment or assist in an internal audit of an enterprise against the Plant Health Management Standard.’

- P24 - 25: Addition of a new requirement – 8.4 Detection of Notifiable Pests • This requirement aims to record all notifiable pest detections details of statutory notices and outcomes • it also ensures that a Root Cause Analysis is conducted to identify and rectify the cause of the pest incursion / outbreak.

- P27: Appendix. Guidance for SOPRA (i) edit to the definition of Quarantine pests.

◦ Plant Healthy Certification Scheme Membership Rules

- P32: (1) Introduction – further explanation re: Plant Health Alliance and edit to reflect governance changes.

- P32: (2) Management of Plant Healthy Certification Scheme – Changes to reflect Governance / staffing changes.

- P32: (3) The Plant Health Management Standard – Additions to provide clarity on scopes and to explain the role of the Technical Advisory Group, Plant Healthy Limited’s Trustees and the Plant Health Alliance in the Standard setting procedure, i.e. a summary of how reviews of the Standard are conducted.

- P33: (4) Certification Options for Businesses and Organisations – following sentence added re: Option B & C procedures: ‘Separate procedures are available on request for the Option B and Option C group schemes.’

- P33 - 34: (5) General Membership Information – addition of new scope and various clarifying edits.

- P34 – 37: (6) Audit Procedures - various clarifying edits covering suspension of certificates and audit windows in relation to certification dates.

- P37 - 38: (8) Complaints – update to the complaints procedures to reflect governance and staff changes.

- P38 - 40: (9) Privacy Policy - update to reflect current governance arrangements.

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