The International Safety Regime of Radioactive Materials Transport

Abstract

Every day thousands of shipments of radioactive materials are transported on international and national routes. These consignments, which are carried by road, rail, sea, air and inland waterway, can range from smoke detectors and cobalt sources for medical uses to reprocessed fuel for use in electricity generation. The transport of radioactive materials worldwide is governed by stringent regulatory regime, which includes standards, codes and regulations that have been continuously revised and updated over the past four decades. The safety measures have been developed to protect the general public, transport workers, emergency response teams and the environment against the risks posed by the cargoes. These risks include the radioactivity itself and other chemical risks that the cargoes may pose, such as toxicity or corrosivity. In addition to the safety regulations, the regulatory regime addresses other, related issues such as physical protection and liability. It was recognized that these standards should provide a uniform, global regime to ensure that all parties apply the same provisions. Since 1961, the UN (United Nations) has published and periodically reviewed and updated the regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material. These regulations are used today by more than 60 countries as the basic for their national regulations. In addition, the main international modal organizations responsible for the safe transport of dangerous goods by road, rail, sea, air and inland waterways have incorporated the relevant parts of the UN regulations into their own instruments. This paper will discuss and outline the principal regulations that apply to the transport of radioactive materials such as the UN regulations for the safe transport of radioactive materials, The UN regime governing the international transport of dangerous goods, the principal modal regulations governing the transport of dangerous goods and achievement of a more harmonized regime. and the international organizations responsible for their development and implementation.