Safe Transport Of Radioactive Material Research Articles

Sea Transport of Radioactive Materials in Egypt

AbstractIn Egypt the national regulations for safe transport of radioactive materials (RAM) are based on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations. In addition, regulations for the safe transport of these materials through the Suez Canal (SC) were laid down by the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA) and the Suez Canal Authority (SCA). They are continuously updated to meet the increased knowledge and the experience gained. The technical and protective measures taken during transport of RAM through SC are mentioned. Assessment of the impact of transporting radioactive materials through the Suez Canal using the INTERTRAN computer code was carried out in cooperation with IAEA. The transported activities and empty containers, the number of vessels carrying RAM through the Canal from 1963 to 1996 and their nationalities are also discussed. The protective measures are mentioned.

The 1996 Edition of the IAEA's Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material — What's New?

The 1996 Edition of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material has been published and is being implemented by Member States and international transport organisations. Several major changes were made in the requirements, particularly those applicable to uranium hexafluoride packaging, air transport of larger quantities of material, and the specification of material which is exempt from the regulations. The international transport organisations are working toward a uniform effective implementation date of 1 January 2001. Shippers and carriers should begin preparation for compliance with the revised requirements in order to ease implementation.

The Development of a Package for the Salvage and Transport of Dangerous Goods Meeting Limits for Solid LSA-II/SCO-II (LSA-III when Transported under Exclusive Use) in Compliance with the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material — 1985 Edition (as Amended 1990)

This paper describes the development of a package for the salvage and transport of dangerous goods within the radioactive materials classification LSA-II/SCO-II and the preparation of the safety submission such that the package is suitable for licensing as an Industrial Type (IP-2) Package. The package developed is a stainless steel 307 litre drum comprising upper and lower drum sections, clamped together using a two piece clamping band secured by four M12 socket head cap screws. Sealing of the drum is provided by an ‘O’ ring positioned between the two drum sections. The overall dimensions of the packaging are 1002 mm × 710 mm (diameter), its mass is 50 kg and it is tested for payloads of up to a maximum of 400 kg. Extensive testing was carried out on the package by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research on behalf of the manufacturer, and the package proved to be suitable for carrying a variety of payloads. This is reflected in its United Nations certification for both solids and liquids. The test results confirmed the package's suitability for compliance with the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, 1985 Edition (as amended 1990) and following the preparation of a detailed Safety Submission, Nuclear Electric's Competent Authority issued a Certificate of Regulatory Compliance.

The 1996 IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials—The Transport of Fissile Material

In September 1996 the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved the publication of the 1996 edition of the Regulations of the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials. The requirements for the transport of fissile material differ significantly in this document from the requirements of the previous (1985) edition of the Regulations. Changes have been made to the materials which are subject to the additional requirements for fissile material and to the way in which packages containing fissile material are tested, assessed and labelled. Specific requirements for the carriage of fissile material by air and for uranium hexafluoride have also been introduced.

The Design, Manufacture and Testing of a New Generation of ISO Freight Container for Certification as an IP-2 Package in Compliance with the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, 1985 Edition (As Amended 1990)

Solid low level radioactive waste (LLW) which arises at nuclear power stations and other nuclear facilities in the UK, is routinely transported to British Nuclear Fuels' site at Drigg in Cumbria for disposal. A requirement was identified for the use of a refurbished ISO freight container of the full-height design, to transport drummed LLW to the site of a supercompaction facility prior to disposal at Drigg. This paper describes the reasoned technical justification employed for certifying the refurbished ISO freight container, Design No. 2912B, as an IP-2 package under Paragraph 523 of the IAEA Transport Regulations and the development of a new generation of ISO freight container, Design No. 2044. It was recognised that the use of a refurbished container was only an interim measure and because of significant changes in the acceptance criteria for disposal, the increased use of high force compaction techniques and the proposed amendments to the IAEA Transport Regulations, Nuclear Electric embarked upon the development of a new generation of ISO freight containers. The new container design (Design No. 2044) incorporates a readily decontaminable stainless steel interior, a comprehensive load restraint system designed for the transport of single and multiple packages, and is lined with a polyurethane foam between the inner and outer skins. It is designed to transport 70 off, 200 litre drums of LLW (stacked in two layers) and other payloads of size not greater than 4 m long × 2 m wide and 20 tonnes in weight. The container was subjected to a range of tests to prove compliance with the ISO standard and the IAEA Transport Regulations. Following the preparation of the required documentation, in particular a Safety Case and comprehensive Operating and Maintenance Instructions, a Certificate of Regulatory Compliance was issued by the appropriate authority certifying the container as an Industrial Package Type 2 (IP-2) suitable for the transport of drummed LLW and other materials within LSA-II/SCO-II limits.

Development of Guidance on Applications of Regulatory Requirements for Low Specific Activity Materials and Surface Contaminated Objects

In 1985, the International Atomic Energy Agency issued revised regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material. Significant among the changes were major revisions to requirements for Low Specific Activity (LSA) material and Surface Contaminated Objects (SCOs). In preparation for the adoption of these requirements into regulations in the United States, it became apparent that guidance on how to apply these requirements, clarifying technical uncertainties and ensuring proper implementation, would be needed both by the regulators and those regulated. Thus, the US Department of Transportation and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with the assistance of staff from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, are preparing regulatory guidance for LSA material and SCO transport. The guidance will present examples of acceptable methods for demonstrating compliance with the revised rules. Ideas being investigated for inclusion in the pending guidance are discussed in this paper. Under current plans, the guidance will be issued for public comment prior to final issue of the guidance in 1997.

Development of Guidance on Applications of Regulatory Requirements for Regulating Large, Contaminated Equipment and Large Decommissioning and Decontamination (D&D) Components

In 1985, the International Atomic Energy Agency issued revised regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material. Significant were major changes to requirements for Low Specific Activity (LSA) material and Surface Contaminated Objects (SCOs). As these requirements were adopted into regulations in the United States, it was recognised that guidance on how to apply these requirements to large, contaminated/activated pieces of equipment and decommissioning and decontamination (D&D) objects would be needed both by the regulators and those regulated to clarify technical uncertainties and ensure implementation. Thus, the US Department of Transportation and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with assistance of staff from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, are preparing regulatory guidance which will present examples of acceptable methods for demonstrating compliance with the revised rules for large items. Concepts being investigated for inclusion in the pending guidance are discussed in this paper. Under current plans, the guidance will be issued for public comment before final issuance in 1997.

The Design, Manufacture and Testing of a New Generation of ISO Freight Container for Certification as an IP-2 Package in Compliance with the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material – 1985 Edition (as Amended 1990)

Solid low level radioactive waste (LLW) which arises at nuclear power stations and other nuclear facilities in the UK, is routinely transported to British Nuclear Fuels site at Drigg in Cumbria for disposal. A requirement was identified for the use of an ISO freight container of the full-height design, to transport drummed LLW to the site of a supercompaction facility prior to disposal at Drigg. This was initially accomplished using refurbished containers incorporating a number of enhanced features. It was recognised that the use of a refurbished container was only an interim measure and as a result of significant changes in the acceptance criteria for disposal, the increased use of high force compaction techniques and the proposed amendments to the IAEA Transport Regulations, Nuclear Electric embarked upon the development of a new generation of ISO freight container. The new design of container, Design No. 2044, incorporates a readily decontaminable stainless steel interior, a comprehensive load restraint system designed for the transport of single and multiple packages, and is lined with a polyurethane foam between the inner and outer skins. It is designed to transport 70 off, 200 litre drums of LLW (stacked in two layers) and other payloads of size not greater than 4 m long × 2 m wide and 20 tonnes in weight. The container was subjected to a range of tests to prove compliance with the ISO standard and the IAEA Transport Regulations. Following the preparation of the required documentation, in particular a Safety Case and comprehensive Operating and Maintenance Instructions, a Certificate of Regulatory Compliance was issued by the appropriate authority certifying the container as an Industrial Package Type 2 (IP-2) suitable for the transport of drununed LLW and other materials within LSA-II/SCO-II limits.

The Safe Transport of Radioactive Material in South Africa

The Safe Transport of Radioactive Material in South Africa

The Design, Manufacture and Testing of a Container Module to Satisfy the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material – 1985 Edition (as Amended 1990), for the Transport of an Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor (AGR) Gas Circulator

Heysham 1 and Hartlepool Nuclear Power Stations share a common design of gas circulator and a requirement was identified to transport a spare circulator between the Stations. The circulators are 6 m long, 2 m diameter and weigh approximately 38 tonnes. The circulator becomes contaminated in use and is classified as suitable for transport as SCO-II. It can therefore be transported within a Type 2 Industrial Package (IP-2), in accordance with the IAEA Transport Regulations. An appropriate package, the Gas Circulator Transportation Module, based on ISO container standards, was designed, manufactured and tested, and a Safety Case prepared addressing the radiological hazards associated with the transport of a gas circulator and demonstrating regulatory compliance. Following the issue of a Certificate of Regulatory Compliance, the container module was used· to transport a gas circulator from Heysham 1 to Hartlepool, paving the way for similar purpose-designed modules for the transport of large components.

IAEA Safety Standards Series, STI-1:Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material - 1996 Edition(STI/PUB/998)

IAEA Safety Standards Series, STI-1:<i>Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material - 1996 Edition</i>(STI/PUB/998)

The Benefits of Using Impact Analysis in Licensing An Industrial Package

The IAEA Regulations for Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials require that packages for transport of significant quantities of radioactive material be capable of withstanding specified tests which are representative of accident conditions such as fire or impact. The use of calculations has been generally agreed to be reliable or conservative for the fire test, but not sufficiently so for the impact tests. Hence, it is normal practice in the industry to demonstrate the impact resistance of packages by means of full scale or scale model physical drop tests. In recent years however the power of computers and software has increased significantly with the result that it is now possible to claim that computer impact analysis is sufficiently reliable or conservative for demonstrating the safety of transport packages. In the future computer impact analysis will be used increasingly for licensing of packages for transport of radioactive materials.This paper describes the use of the non-linear finite element code OASYS-LS-DYNA3D in the licensing of a container for the transport of fresh nuclear fuel. The package was classified as an Industrial Package (Fissile) in accordance with the IAEA Regulations, and hence it was necessary, among other things, to demonstrate that criticality criteria were satisfied under postulated impact conditions. In the initial stages of licensing, impact analysis supplemented by small component tests was used. At a later stage the licensing authority (the UK Department of Transport) requested physical drop tests on the container in the critical impact attitudes, as they did not yet have sufficient confidence in the reliability of the computer analysis technique. Physical drop tests were carried out and the results compared with computer calculations carried out beforehand. In all the significant parameters the predictions were shown to be reliable. Differences which did occur could be explained by the conservative simplifications made in modelling the container and other minor differences between what was tested and what was analysed. The paper concludes by identifying the advantage for both the Nuclear Industry and the Regulators of computer impact analysis.

The Application of Probabilistic Safety Techniques to the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material

Information is presented about the various parts which make up the computer code system for the assessment of the radiological consequences and risks involved in the transport of radioactive material and which is known as the INTERTRAN 2 package. The INTERTRAN 2 package has been developed over the past seven years under a Coordinated Research Programme of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The Integrated Management System of BNFL Transport

Quality Assurance (QA) is a requirement of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safety Series No 6 Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials and is also increasingly becoming a customer requirement. BNFL Transport has established an integrated management system which includes quality, safety and environmental aspects and covers the design, manufacture, testing, documentation, use, maintenance, inspection and decommissioning of all packages used for the transport of radioactive materials. The management system also covers planning, programming and transport operations, and covers all modes of transport by road, rail, sea and air. The management system, which was certificated in 1994 to ISO 9001 and BS 5882 by an independent third-party certification body, Lloyds Register Quality Assurance Limited (LRQA), was developed to enable BNFL Transport to demonstrate to Competent Authorities, customers and the general public that the arrangements are in place, being adhered to and meet all regulatory requirements. The requirements of the quality and environmental standards that the Company has adopted are described.

Training of Personnel in the Field of Radioactive Materials Transport

AbstractTraining of personnel in the whole nuclear fuel cycle and also in the other fields of the use of radioactivity is one of the essentials with respect to compliance assurance. The transport of radioactive material is the only activity that takes place outside a facility: on roads, on railways, on the sea or in the air. A high level of safety is therefore an absolute requirement for all transport operations. To ensure this high level the training of the personnel involved in these activities plays an important role. Many studies show that most of the incidents in radioactive materials transport are caused by man-made errors; even so there have been no events with serious radiological consequences anywhere worldwide. There are many requirements in the various national and international regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material with regard to training. An overview is given of the special regulations, e.g. for road transport drivers, for safety advisers in the whole field of the transpo...

Regulatory Aspects of Safe Transport of Radioactive Material in India

AbstractA large quantity of radioactive material is transported in India in various types of packages and by different modes of transport. The Competent Authority has established regulatory control at each stage to ensure basic radiation safety to transport workers, members of general public and the environment. Implementation of these regulations is carried out through design assessment, safety analysis and approval of different types of packages, inspection of consignments, checks for radiation protection measures and quality assurance. There is an emergency response system for the safe management of any transport accident. In this article the regulatory requirements for both domestic and foreign consignments are discussed. Important differences from IAEA regulations are also emphasised.

Supporting Document for the lAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material

Supporting Document for the lAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material

Brittle Fracture Tests of Cask Materials for Transporting Radioactive Materials

AbstractThe IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material stipulates that Type B(U) packages shall be designed for an ambient temperature range from −40°C to +38°C. Guidelines for the safe design of shipping packages against brittle fracture were provided by the IAEA TECDOC-717 in 1993. This report discusses the applicability of the actual method for brittle fracture assessment to Type B transport cask materials used in Japan. The necessity of brittle fracture assessment at low temperature was estimated for each material of Type B transport casks used in Japan and the applicability was investigated. Dynamic fracture toughness tests were conducted and KId (JId), and RTNDT values of low Mn carbon steels (SA350 Gr. LFI Modify and SA516 Gr. 70 material used in Type B transport cask body) were obtained. All the obtained KId (JId) values were over the ASME KIR curve. It was then confirmed that an easier and conventional RTNDT-KIR curve method prescribed in ASME Code Section III can be substitu...

Regulations Relevant to the Transport of Radioactive Materials in Switzerland

AbstractAs is the case in many countries, the transport of radioactive materials in Switzerland is primarily regulated by the national regulations for the transport of dangerous goods. Currently these regulations, in the case of radioactive material, incorporate the 1985 IAEA Safety Series 6 Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (As amended 1990). However, as is also the case in some other countries, consignors, shippers and carriers of radioactive materials must also comply with additional laws when shipping radioactive materials. The most important of these other laws and their accompanying regulations are those concerned with radiation protection (import, export and carriers licences) and nuclear power (import, export, inland transport and transit licences). This paper sets out to describe the collective requirements resulting from all three of these sets of regulations.

1996 Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials

1996 Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials