--- title: "Shipping Container Floor Treatments: What Operators Know" description: "Shipping container floor treatment safety: what IICL and ISO cover, what wood treating pesticides are named in the trade, and where to find NPSA's reports." url: https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/blog/shipping-container-floor-treatment-safety publisher: National Portable Storage Association (NPSA) phone: "(816) 960-6552" email: info@npsa.org --- For operators and suppliers # Are used shipping containers safe? What operators should know about floor treatments October 16, 2026 · 4 min read · National Portable Storage Association Container floors are usually plywood, and builders name several pesticide products used in them. IICL and ISO publish floor and testing standards, but their public summaries say little about treatment chemistry. Ask suppliers for written product and treatment records, and read NPSA's reports yourself before you make safety claims. ![Modified container offices on the 2026 NPSA trade show floor](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/_astro/show-container-booths.CaMZY2QJ_Z1c9AWS.webp) ## Why do container floors get treated at all? Container floors are usually wood. NPSA’s container page says members’ containers have marine plywood floors. A container builder, Falcon Structures, says original floors of marine plywood or bamboo contain products that act as pesticides. That becomes your question when you rent, sell or modify a used box. Customers ask it, and you need a clear, documented answer. ## What chemicals do operators hear about? Three product names come up often. Falcon Structures names Basileum, Tailileum 400 and Radaleum as floor pesticides. Falcon says studies by the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, LLC found “selective toxicity to insects, not people.” It also says their vapor pressure is low. Treat that as a vendor statement from 2021. Falcon does not publish a plain-language list of which product goes in which container. Ask your supplier for a written record of the floor treatment. Ask for the product’s safety data sheet too. Note one related point. Floor treatment is not fumigation. A 2015 journal review of volatile compounds in container transport covers gases used to treat freight, such as phosphine and methyl bromide. Its authors write that, since no reliable indication of absent toxic gases exists, “each container has to be regarded as potentially hazardous” until it is tested or aired. That is about import containers and fumigants, not floor products. Still, it is a good reason to air out any container before people work inside. ## What do IICL and ISO say about floors? Both set quality and strength rules. Their public pages do not describe treatment chemistry. Source What it covers What it covers for floors [IICL](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/institute-of-international-container-lessors-iicl) technical bulletins Dry van floor structure and repair Titles include TB-001 (Revision 4, 18 June 2026) on new structural floor panels, TB 003 on finger cracking in plywood floor boards, TB 004 on dowel repair and TB 006 on a floor quality assurance audit form IICL news Floorboard production and markings A 9 October 2026 item clarifies floorboard markings that reference TB 001 [ISO 1496](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/iso-1496) (1496-1:2013) Specification and testing of general cargo containers The ISO page abstract covers basic specifications and testing. It does not mention floor treatment Public titles and abstracts do not show whether these documents limit any chemical. Read the full documents before you cite them to a customer. IICL stands for Institute of International Container Lessors. A [container inspection](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/container-inspection) record is a good place to start your paperwork. ## What do NPSA’s reports cover? NPSA’s [Industry Reports page](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/industry-reports) lists two documents. Their captions read “Safe Use & Compliance for Modified ISO Shipping Containers” and “Toxicological Evaluation of Four Wood Treating Products.” Read both in full before you make any claim to a customer. Members can also ask peers in the [community forum](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/community-forum), which has a Container Modifications category and a Safety category. ## What should operators do? You cannot make a floor safe by wording. You can make your records clear and your claims honest. 1. Ask each supplier for the floor treatment record and the safety data sheet. 2. Record the container’s source, grade and inspection report in your file. 3. Ask whether a [one-trip container](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/one-trip-container) fits jobs where customers will be inside. Falcon notes a single trip lowers concern about prior cargo. 4. Air out every container before people work inside. 5. For offices, shops or living space, hire a qualified professional and follow local building rules. 6. Do not call a floor “non-toxic” in marketing unless your records back it up. Ask an attorney about wording. Our glossary entry on [floor treatment](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/floor-treatment) explains the term in plain words. ## What do customers ask, and what can you answer? Customers ask short questions. Give short answers that your records can support. Customer question An answer you can stand behind Document to have ready Is the floor treated? Container floors are usually treated wood, and we can share our supplier’s record Supplier treatment record, safety data sheet Has this box carried other cargo? Ask the supplier and tell the customer what you know Container history, inspection report Is it safe to work inside? After airing and inspection, and under local building rules for occupied space Inspection note, professional sign-off for offices Can I store food in it? Check food safety rules for your use before you commit Written customer acknowledgment Say what you know and what you do not. A plain “We do not know yet, and we will ask our supplier” is better than a guess. ## How do grade and history change the picture? Grades such as one-trip or cargo worthy are trade terms. They are not one legal standard. A one-trip container made one voyage, so it has less history. A used box has more. Both can carry a treated wood floor. Falcon Structures says a one-trip container reduces concern about prior cargo, and that buying from a source that inspects containers helps. That is a builder’s view. Your own inspection record gives you better proof. See our glossary entry for [wind and water tight](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/wind-and-water-tight-wwt) for another common grade. ## Next step Want peers who have faced the same customer questions? Join NPSA and use the forum and reports. [Join NPSA](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/join-us). For operators ## Grow with the portable storage industry Members get event rates, the Community Forum, training and leads from this website. [Join NPSA](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/join-us) Questions ## Common questions Are shipping container floors toxic? NPSA cannot give a general safety verdict on container floors. One container builder says the floor products have selective toxicity to insects, not people, citing studies by a toxicology firm. That is a vendor claim. Read primary documents, ask for treatment records, and get a qualified professional's view for occupied spaces. What chemicals are used on container floors? Product names in the trade include Basileum, Tailileum 400 and Radaleum, according to a container builder's article. The names of the active ingredients and their data sheets matter more than the product names. Ask your supplier for the written treatment record for each lot. Can containers be used for food storage? Do not assume a used container floor is approved for food contact. Ask the supplier about food use in writing. Food storage has its own rules. Talk to your customer's food safety adviser and a qualified professional, and document what you supplied. What did NPSA's report find? NPSA's Industry Reports page lists two items: one on safe use and compliance for modified ISO shipping containers, and one on a toxicological evaluation of four wood treating products. Read them in full before you make any claim to a customer. Is a modified container safe? Safety depends on the container history, floor, modifications and use. One builder says it is never safe to live or work in an unmodified container, and that modifications such as epoxy-coated flooring and insulation address that. Use a qualified professional and local building rules for occupied structures. ## Sources 1. [Falcon Structures: Are Shipping Container Floors Toxic? And Other Health & Safety FAQs (2021)](https://www.falconstructures.com/blog/are-shipping-container-floors-toxic) 2. [IICL: Dry Van Technical Bulletins](https://www.iicl.org/technical-documents/dry-van-technical-bulletins/) 3. [IICL: Latest News](https://www.iicl.org/news/latest-news/) 4. [ISO: ISO 1496-1:2013 Series 1 freight containers, Specification and testing, Part 1](https://www.iso.org/standard/59672.html) 5. [Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology: Health risks in international container and bulk cargo transport due to volatile toxic compounds (2015)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4465480/) 6. [NPSA: Industry Reports](https://www.npsa.org/industry-reports.html) ## Keep reading [Blog ### Container business models: Rent, sell, or modify? Read](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/blog/rent-sell-or-modify-business-models)[Blog ### NPSA 2026 Conference recap: San Antonio program and award winners Read](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/blog/npsa-2026-san-antonio-recap)[Blog ### Seasonal demand in portable storage: Moving season, retail peaks and hurricane prep Read](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/blog/seasonal-demand-portable-storage) For the industry ## Grow your portable storage business with NPSA Members get event rates, the Community Forum, the directory listing and leads from this website. [Join NPSA](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/join-us)[See member benefits](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/member-benefits) Need storage? ## Get quotes from NPSA member companies Tell us what you need and where. A member company that serves your area will contact you. 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