1. Transport of Radioactive Material A Detailed Overview
Stephen Whittingham
Head of Transport Safety Unit
Division of Radiation, Transport & Waste Safety
Department of Nuclear Safety and Security

2. Overview Introduction Overview of transport of radioactive material
The international regulatory framework
IAEA SSR-6 Transport Regulations

3. Overview of transport of radioactive material (1)
In industry - non-destructive testing and measurement
In our homes and work places, smoke detectors and energy saving lights
In the environment - control of disease carrying insects, removal of pests in food and other goods
Mobile phones – computers and mobile phones contain electronic components made of tantalum metal (extracted from a radioactive ore)
Civil nuclear power generation programmes

4. Overview of transport of radioactive material (1)
In health care
Diagnosis and treatment of cancer, heart disease and organ failure
80% of surgical gloves and nearly 50% of disposable medical devices are sterilized using radioactive materials
Each Year
Over 4 billion diagnostic medical radiation procedures
50 million nuclear medicine procedures
5.5 million patients treated with radiotherapy
In over 50 countries

5. Overview of transport of radioactive material (1)
~20 million shipments of radioactive material occur each year, much less than 5% by the nuclear industry
Commercial shipping (for larger sources, bulk material Uranium ores, etc)
Transport by air (short half-life material – Radiopharmaceuticals)
Almost, if not all, by road
Small percentage by rail

6. Regulations – IAEA Safety Standards Hierarchy (2)
Safety Fundamentals
Safety Requirements
Safety Guides

7. The IAEA Safety Standards
Regulations – IAEA Safety Standards (2)
SSG 26
Advisory Material
IAEA TS-G-1.2
Emergency Response
Radiation Protection Programmes
IAEA TS-G-1.3
IAEA TS-G-1.4
Management System
GSR Part 1
IAEA TS-G-1.5
Compliance Assurance
SSG 33
Schedules
SSR 6 (2012)
Guidance Documents
GSR Part 3

8. Regulations – The international regulatory framework (2)
Mainly Package design approval Regulators / some Transport Regulators
UN MODEL REGULATIONS
All 9 Dangerous Goods Classes - All modes
SSR 6 (2012)
Class 7 - All modes
Some countries
MODAL REGULATIONS AIR, LAND & SEA
All 9 Dangerous Goods Classes
Road, Rail and Inland Waterway
(Europe)
Sea
Air

9. Overview of regulatory framework – SSR-6
Regulations – IAEA SSR-6 (2)
Prescriptive requirements - revised on biennial basis
Supported by Advisory Material – aids consistent interpretation
Global, multi-modal but not mandatory
All 168 IAEA Member States can participate
Transposed into UN Model Regulations
Text does not look like UN or modal texts
No guidance for UN or modal provisions, so legal texts need to address everything
Modes take Class 7 provisions from UN, not from SSR 6
Few UN national delegations include Class 7 experts

10. Regulations – UN Model Regulations (2)
UNITED NATIONS SUB-COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS on the transport of dangerous goods
A body established by ECOSOC (UN Economic and Social Council) in 1957

11. Regulations – UN Model Regulations (2)
Was originally the UN Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods
Now a sub-committee of UN Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals
Originally consisted of ‘experts’ drawn from countries with demonstrable expertise and interest in the transport of dangerous goods

12. Regulations – UN Model Regulations (2)
Draws up non-mandatory ‘Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods’ for all modes of transport throughout the world
Written in the form of ‘Model Regulations’ for international and national legislation
Known as the ‘Orange Book’

13. Regulations – UN Model Regulations (2)
Makes decisions by simple majority voting - not by consensus
Currently 27 voting countries, increasing geographical representation but European dominated
Non-voting countries and inter-governmental organisations can attend as ‘observers’
International trade associations in UN consultative status may also attend
Currently working on the 20th - revised edition (19th) taking effect from 1 January 2016
Works on 2 year revision cycle
Meets in Palais des Nations in Geneva each June and December
Ad hoc Working Groups meet (inter-session) if required

14. Regulations – International framework (2)
Modal Regulations
UN Model Regulations
IAEA SSR6 (2012)
State variations

15. Regulations – SSR-6 (2) Objective of SSR-6 (para 104)
… is to establish requirements that must be satisfied to ensure safety and to protect persons, property and the environment from the effects of radiation in the transport of radioactive material. This protection is achieved by requiring:
Containment of the radioactive contents;
Control of external radiation levels;
Prevention of criticality;
Prevention of damage caused by heat.
No routeing or physical protection controls are specified - these may be implemented for reasons other than radiological safety

16. Regulations – SSR-6 (2) Regulatory approach (SSR-6 para 106)
A graded approach is applied in specifying the performance standards which are characterized in terms of three general severity levels:
(a) Routine conditions of transport (incident free);
(b) Normal conditions of transport (minor mishaps);
(c) Accident conditions of transport.

17. Regulations – SSR-6 Definitions (2)
‘Transport’ (SSR-6 para 106)
… Transport comprises all operations and conditions associated with, and involved in, the movement of radioactive material; these include the design, manufacture, maintenance and repair of packaging, and the preparation, consigning, loading, carriage including in-transit storage, unloading and receipt at the final destination of loads of radioactive material and packages.
Radioactive material (SSR-6 para 236)
…..any material containing radionuclides where both the activity concentration (Bq/g) and the total activity in the consignment (Bq) exceed the values specified in paras

18. Regulations – SSR-6 Definitions (2)
Packaging (SSR-6 para 232)
Packaging shall mean one or more receptacles and any other components or materials necessary for the receptacles to perform the containment and other safety functions
Package (SSR-6 para 231)
….. shall mean the packaging with its radioactive contents as presented for transport

19. Regulations – SSR-6 Definitions (2)
Consignor shall mean any person, organization or government which prepares a consignment for transport (SSR-6 para 212)
Carrier shall mean any person, organization or government undertaking the carriage of radioactive material by any means of transport. The term includes both carriers for hire or reward (known as common or contract carriers in some countries) and carriers on own account (known as private carriers in some countries (SSR-6 para 206)
Consignee shall mean any person, organization or government which is entitled to take delivery of a consignment (SSR-6 para 210)

20. Regulations – SSR-6 Definitions (2)
Unilateral approval shall mean an approval of a design which is required to be given by the competent authority of the country of origin of the design only (SSR-6 para 205)
Multilateral approval shall mean approval by the relevant competent authority of the country of origin of the design or shipment, as applicable, and also, where the consignment is to be transported through or into any other country, approval by the competent authority of that country
(SSR-6 para 204)

21. Regulations – SSR-6 General Provisions (2)
Radiation protection shall be optimised using ALARA, social and economic factors being taken into account
Emergency response provisions, established at national and/or international levels shall be observed
Management systems shall be established to standards acceptable to the competent authority
Training – the provision of appropriate radiation protection training for workers and general awareness/familiarisation training for others and the need for training records

22. SSR-6 Activity limits and classification (2)
Activity Limits Packaging Type Accumulation of Packages
and Classification and Consignment Limits
Activity Content (Bq) Package Type Limits TI / CSI
Activity Concentration (Bq/g) Package Requirements Dose rates
Solid, Liquid or gas Package Certification unshielded (3m)
Radionuclide(s) Special Form surface
Activity Content (A1, A2) Radiometric survey m / 2m
Temperature
Contamination
I-White, II & III Yellow

23. SSR-6 Activity limits and material restrictions (2)
A1 and A2 values
A series of exposure routes are considered, each of which might lead to radiation exposure (internal or external) to persons in the vicinity of a Type A package involved in a severe transport accident:
External photon dose
External beta dose
Inhalation dose
Skin and ingestion due to contamination transfer
Submersion dose (gaseous isotopes)
Effective or committed dose to a person in the vicinity 50 mSv
0.5 Sv for individual organs or 0.15 Sv to the lens of the eye
Assumed a person will remain at 1m from a damaged package for < 30 minutes

24. SSR-6 Activity limits and material restrictions (2)
Examples of A1 and A2
Radionuclide
A1 (TBq)
Mass (g)
A2 (TBq)
Specific activity
(TBq/g)
Co-60
0.4
420
Ir-192 1
0.0029
0.6
0.0017
340
Mo-99
5.6E-5
3.3E-5
18 000

25. SSR-6 Package types (2)
Activity Limits Packaging Type Accumulation of Packages
and Classification and Consignment Limits
Activity Content (Bq) Package Type Limits TI / CSI
Activity Concentration (Bq/g) Package Requirements Dose rates
Solid, Liquid or gas Package Certification unshielded (3m)
Radionuclide(s) Special Form surface
Activity Content (A1, A2) Radiometric survey m / 2m
Temperature
Contamination
I-White, II & III Yellow

26. SSR-6 Graded approach (2)
The performance criterion of a package type depends upon its permitted contents (A1 and A2)
In IAEA SSR6 the following categories are defined [CA approved]:
Excepted packages
Industrial packages Type (IP-1, IP-2, IP-3) [ IF for fissile material]
Type A package [ AF for fissile material]
Type B(M), Type B(U) package [ B(U)F and B(M)F for fissile material]
Type C package [ CF for fissile material]
Type H(U) [ H(U)F for fissile material]
Type H(M) [ H(M)F for fissile material]
Shipment approval (T)
Special arrangement (X)
Low specific activity (LSA-I, LSA-II and LSA-III)
Surface contaminated objects (SCO-I, SCO-II)
Special Form (S)
Low Dispersible Radioactive Material (LDRM)

27. SSR-6 Graded approach, UN numbers (2)
Proper shipping name
Excepted package
UN 2908
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, EXCEPTED PACKAGE – EMPTY PACKAGE
UN 2909
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, EXCEPTED PACKAGE – ARTICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NATURAL URANIUM or DEPLETED URANIUM or NATURAL THORIUM
UN 2910
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, EXCEPTED PACKAGE –LIMITED QUANTITY OF MATERIAL
UN 2911
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, EXCEPTED PACKAGE – INSTRUMENTS or ARTICLES
UN 3507
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE, RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, EXCEPTED PACKAGE - less than 0.1 kg per package, non-fissile or fissile excepted

28. SSR-6 Graded approach, UN numbers (2)
Proper shipping name
Low specific activity material (LSA-I, LSA-II, LSA-III)
UN 2912
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, LOW SPECIFIC ACTIVITY (LSA-I), non-fissile or fissile excepted
UN 3321
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, LOW SPECIFIC ACTIVITY (LSA-II), non-fissile or fissile excepted
UN 3322
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, LOW SPECIFIC ACTIVITY (LSA-III), non-fissile or fissile excepted
UN 3324
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, LOW SPECIFIC ACTIVITY (LSA-II), FISSILE
UN 3325
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, LOW SPECIFIC ACTIVITY (LSA-III), FISSILE
Surface contaminated objects (SCO-I, SCO-II)
UN 2913
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, SURFACE CONTAMINATED OBJECTS (SCO-I or SCO-II), non-fissile or fissile excepted
UN 3326
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, SURFACE CONTAMINATED OBJECTS (SCO-I or SCO-II), FISSILE

29. SSR-6 Graded approach, UN numbers (2)
Proper shipping name
Type A package
UN 2915
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TYPE A PACKAGE, non-special form, non-fissile or fissile excepted
UN 3327
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TYPE A PACKAGE, FISSILE, non-special form
UN 3332
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TYPE A PACKAGE, SPECIAL FORM, non-fissile or fissile excepted
UN 3333
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TYPE A PACKAGE,SPECIAL FORM, FISSILE
Type B(U) package
UN 2916
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TYPE B(U) PACKAGE , non-fissile or fissile excepted
UN 3328
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TYPE B(U) PACKAGE, FISSILE

30. SSR-6 Graded approach, UN numbers (2)
Proper shipping name
Type B(M) package
UN 2917
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TYPE B(M) PACKAGE , non-fissile or fissile excepted
UN 3329
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TYPE B(M) PACKAGE, FISSILE
Type C package
UN 3323
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TYPE C PACKAGE, non-fissile or fissile excepted
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TYPE C PACKAGE, FISSILE
Uranium hexafluoride
UN 2977
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE, FISSILE
UN 2978
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE, non-fissile or fissile excepted

31. SSR-6 Graded approach, UN numbers (2)
Proper shipping name
Special arrangement
UN 2919
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TRANSPORTED UNDER SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT, non-fissile or fissile excepted
UN 3331
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TRANSPORTED UNDER SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT, FISSILE

32. SSR-6 Excepted package (2)
Permitted package contents and release following an accident
Package type
Permitted contents (package)
Permitted release following accident
Excepted
10-3A1 (solid)
10-3A2 (solid)
10-4A2 (liquid)
2x10-2A1 (tritium)
10-3A1 (SF)
10-3A1 (Gas)
Entire contents

33. SSR-6 Excepted package requirements (2)
Medical radioisotope excepted package

34. SSR-6 Type IP-1 and Type IP-2 (2)
Type IP-1 package - requirements
Excepted package requirements, plus
The smallest overall dimension shall not be less than 10 cm
Type IP-2 package - requirements
Type IP-1, plus
Loss or dispersal of contents would be prevented and no more than 20% increase in the maximum surface dose rate at any external surface when subjected to:
A free drop from a height of 0.3m to 1.2m (depending on package mass)
Stacking test (24 hours), the greater of 5 times package mass or 13kPa x vertically projected area

35. SSR-6 Type IP-3 (2) Type IP-3 package - requirements Type IP-1, plus
A security seal to indicate the package has been opened
Tie down attachments
Take account of component temperatures ranging from -40°C to +70°C
Design and manufactured in accordance with national and international standards
Positive fastening device on containment system
Retain contents under a reduction of ambient pressure to 60 kPa
When subjected to water spray test, followed by free drop test, stacking test and penetration test (normal conditions of transport), loss or dispersal of contents would be prevented and no more than 20% increase in the maximum surface dose rate at any external surface

36. SSR-6 Activity limits and material restrictions (2)
Examples of A1 and A2
Radionuclide
A1 (TBq)
Mass (g)
A2 (TBq)
Specific activity
(TBq/g)
Co-60
0.4
420
Ir-192 1
0.0029
0.6
0.0017
340
Mo-99
5.6E-5
3.3E-5
18 000

37. SSR-6 Special Form (2) At least one dimension not less than 5mm
Impact test – free drop from a height of 9m
Percussion test – drop a 25mm diameter bar, 1.4 kg mass, from 1m height
Bend test – minimum length 10cm, rigidly clamped in horizontal position with half length exposed
Heat test – 800 ºC for 10 minutes
Special Form in a Type A package
A2 (0.6 TBq Cs137)
A1 (2 TBq Cs137 Special Form)

38. SSR-6 Type A package (2) Type A content limits
B(i) is the activity of radionuclide i as special form radioactive material
A1(i) is the A1 value for radionuclide i
C(j) is the activity of radionuclide j as other than special form radioactive material
A2(j) is the A2 value for radionuclide j

39. SSR-6 Type A package (2) Type A content limits
The content limit is A2 or A1 (Special Form)
Type A package – requirements include
Type IP-3, plus
If designed to contain liquid radioactive material, the free drop test will be from a height of 9m onto an unyielding target
Followed by a penetration test from an increased height of 1.7m
The design should include shall include sufficient absorbent material to absorb twice the volume of liquid contents, or
A containment system composed of a primary inner and secondary outer containment components designed to enclose and retain the liquid contents
For packages designed to contain gases, the package shall prevent loss or dispersal (tritium and noble gases are excepted)
Additional requirements for fissile material

40. SSR-6 Type A package (2)
Type A package (after 9m drop test)

41. SSR-6 Type B package (2) Type B content limits
The content limit is as defined in the package design safety case which is submitted to the competent authorities for assessment and approval
Type B package – requirements
Type A, plus
Capable of operating in ambient temperatures of -40ºC to +38 ºC
Be capable of being left unattended for one week in an ambient of 38ºC plus insolation at equilibrium thermal conditions
with the heat generated by radioactive contents
package continues to meet its applicable requirements for
containment,
Shielding, and
Criticality control (fissile contents)

42. SSR-6 Type B package (2)
Restrict the loss of radioactive contents to 10-6A2 per hour when subjected to normal conditions of transport tests
Restrict the loss of radioactive contents to A2 in a week when subjected to:
A free drop from 9m onto an unyielding target
A penetration test
An enveloping fire of 800ºC for 30 minutes
A water immersion test of 15m for a minimum of 8 hours
A water immersion test of 200m for 1 hour ( >105 A2 )
A maximum normal operating pressure of 700 kPa (gauge) – Type B(U)
Additional requirements for fissile material

43. SSR-6 Type B package (2)

44. SSR-6 Permitted package dose rates (2)
* unshielded radioactive contents
** 10 mSv/h for packages under exclusive use
(except by air which is limited to 2 mSv/h)
Package type
Dose rates
Surface** 2m
3m*
Excepted
5μSv/h
IP-I, II, II
0.1 mSv/h
10 mSv/h
Type A
2 mSv/h
Type B
Type C

45. SSR-6 Consignment limits (2)
Activity Limits Packaging Type Accumulation of Packages
and Classification and Consignment Limits
Activity Content (Bq) Package Type Limits TI / CSI
Activity Concentration (Bq/g) Package Requirements Dose rates
Solid, Liquid or gas Package Certification unshielded (3m)
Radionuclide(s) Special Form surface
Activity Content (A1, A2) Radiometric survey m / 2m
Temperature
Contamination
I-White, II & III Yellow

46. SSR-6 Definitions (2) Transport Index (SSR-6 para 244 and 523(a))
TI is a number used to provide control over radiation exposure.
TI is assigned to a package, overpack or freight container, or to unpackaged LSA-I or SCO-1
TI =Radiation level at 1m from surface of package (mSv/h) x 100
Criticality Safety Index (SSR-6 para 218)
CSI is a number used to provide control over the accumulation of packages, overpacks or freight containers containing fissile material
CSI assigned to a package, overpack or freight container containing fissile material

47. SSR-6 Consignment TI limits (2)
Transport Index (TI) limits for conveyances not under Exclusive Use
Type of conveyance
Limit on sum of TIs
Freight container (small, large) 50
Vehicle
Aircraft
Passenger
Cargo
200
Seagoing vessel
Hold, compartment or defined deck area:
Packages, overpacks, small freight containers
Large freight containers
Total vessel
No limit

48. SSR-6 Consignment CSI limits (2)
CSI limits for conveyances containing fissile material
Type of conveyance
Limit on sum of CSIs
Not Exclusive Use
Exclusive Use
Freight container (small / large)
50 / 50
na / 100
Vehicle 50
100
Aircraft Passenger
Cargo na
Seagoing vessel
Hold, compartment or defined deck area:
Packages, overpacks, small freight containers
Large freight containers
Total vessel
200
No limit

49. SSR-6 Temperatures (2)
The design of the package shall take into account ambient temperatures and pressures that are likely to be encountered during routine conditions of transport (SSR-6 para 616)
When transported by air, in an ambient of +38 ºC, and in the absence on insolation, accessible surface temperature of package ≤ +50 ºC (SSR-6 para 619)
When transported by air, integrity of containment of packages not affected by ambient temperatures -40 ºC to +55 ºC (SSR-6 para 620)
Components of the packaging -40 ºC to +70 ºC (SSR-6 para 639)
Unless transported by air, in an ambient of +38 ºC, and in the absence on insolation, accessible surface temperature of package ≤ +85 ºC, when transported under exclusive use (SSR-6, para 655)

50. SSR-6 Contamination (2)
Non-fixed contamination on the external surfaces of a package under routine conditions of transport shall not exceed: (IAEA SSR-6 para 508)
4 Bq/cm2 for beta and gamma emitters and low toxicity alpha emitters
0.4 Bq/cm2 for all other alpha emitters
These limits apply when averaged over 300 cm2 of any part of the surface
Fixed contamination
(c) Radiation level shall not exceed 5 µSv/h at the surface
Non-fixed contamination on the external and internal surfaces of overpacks, freight containers, tanks, IBCs and conveyances shall not exceed (a) and (b) except:
If equipment is dedicated to the transport of unpackaged radioactive material under exclusive use – (a), (b) and (c) do not apply to the internal surfaces (IAEA SSR-5 para 514)

51. SSR-6 Package Labels (2)

52. Maximum radiation level on external surface
SSR-6 Package labels (2)
* Under exclusive use
II-YELLOW and III-YELLOW shall not be carried in compartments occupied by passengers (IAEA SSR-6 para 563)
Transport index
(TI)
Radiation level at 1m from surface of package (mSv/h) x 100
Maximum radiation level on external surface
mSv/h
Category
≤ 0.005
I - WHITE
> 0 ≤ 1
>0.005 ≤ 0.5
II - YELLOW
> 1 ≤ 10
> 0.5 ≤ 2
III - YELLOW
> 10
> 2 ≤ 10
III – YELLOW *

53. SSR-6 Package Labels (2)

54. Thank you Stephen Whittingham Head of Transport Safety Unit
Division of Radiation, Transport & Waste Safety
Department of Nuclear Safety and Security