Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material

Abstract

IAEA Safety Series No 6 and SAGSTRAM have gone - long live ST-1 and TRANSSAC. Yes, the styles remain the same but improvements have occurred and should continue. At IAEA, transport safety previously had a senior advisory group SAGSTRAM (Standing Advisory Group on the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material). With the establishment of the Department of Nuclear Safety at IAEA, a review of supporting advisory committees was undertaken. There are now four Safety Standards Advisory Committees, one each for transport, waste, radiation and nuclear safety. An advisory Commission on Safety Standards has also been established as an overseeing commission. The Transport Safety Standards Advisory Committee (TRANSSAC) currently has 18 members together with observers from international organisations and advisers: it had its second meeting in March 1997. IAEA publications are now known as the `Safety Standards Series' and those related to transport safety are in the category `safe transport' with publication numbers prefixed by `ST'. The 1996 edition of the IAEA transport regulations is ST-1. There are some major changes, with a new high integrity package (Type C), radionuclide-specific exemption values and a new material category of low dispersible material (LDM). In addition, there are revisions relating to criticality safety and to packages containing uranium hexafluoride. There is a register of UN numbers linked to the Schedules of Requirements for Specified Consignments. The regulations remain complex with extensive cross-referencing. Names and numbers are a useful means of identification but policy and content are the important matters. With the recent publication of the latest edition of the IAEA transport regulations, TRANSSAC had the opportunity to review the draft revisions of the supporting documents. The explanatory and advisory material have been combined into one document (ST-2) and transport emergency response information will be published as ST-3. TRANSSAC agreed that more time was required to review some of the draft material and further consultation is in progress. The process used to prepare revisions to the transport regulations was considered by TRANSSAC. In the past a detailed schedule has been followed to ensure publication within a set period. Various groups have contributed to the previous revision process and interactions and responsibilities between groups needed some clarification. An overall approach to improve the efficiency of the process has been suggested in a paper prepared by the Secretariat. A more flexible timescale for revisions is envisaged together with more detailed criteria for the submission of technical proposals. Air, sea, road and rail authorities are involved in regulating the transport of radioactive materials and have representatives at IAEA meetings. TRANSSAC recognised the importance of supporting other international organisations in the adoption of the transport regulations (ST-1). It requested that more consideration be given to ways of strengthening such links: the possibility of joint publications is also to be explored. TRANSSAC examined the overall transport programme including research and development, information services and training activities. An important area is that of the classifications of low specific activity (LSA) material and surface contaminated objects (SCO) which were introduced in 1985 and remain unchanged in ST-1. The current system has practical problems of compliance and gives little credit for packaging that is resistant to damage. A number of projects are under way in this area and IAEA has recently established a coordinated research programme. It is recommended that ST-1 be implemented nationally, regionally and internationally by 1 January 2001. TRANSSAC meets again in May 1998. Ken Shaw The above review was first published in the NRPB Bulletin and is reproduced with the permission of the publishers.