SAFETY IN TRANSPORT OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

R.Sarangapani, Radiological Safety Division, IGCAR, Kalpakkam

1.0 Introduction

There are numerous medical, industrial, agricultural and research institutions in

India where radioactive materials are handled. Only qualified, specially trained,
and experienced persons are authorized to procure and handle radioactive
materials. The radioactive sources used in India are either imported or produced
and marketed by the Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT), BARC,
DAE, Mumbai. Prior to procurement of sources, institutions have to get approval
from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). The radioactive materials are
transported to the authorized users by various modes of transport. The user
returns decayed sealed sources to the supplier for safe disposal. Certain sources
have to be transported from one place to another during their use (e.g. sources
used in well logging operations, radiography etc.).

Radioactive materials have to be transported with care. The package is designed

to withstand the rigours of transport. In India, Chairman, Atomic Energy
Regulatory Board (AERB) is the Competent Authority appointed by Central
Government for enforcing regulations relating to radiation safety including
transport. Transport of radioactive materials is governed by the surveillance
procedures issued under the Radiation Protection Rules and the safety code
AERB/SC/TR-1, 1986 issued by AERB. This code is based on the international
standard of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA regulations are
incorporated in regulations of various international organizations such as
International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), Universal Postal
Union (UPU) etc., and national organizations of member states [1].

Safety in transport of radioactive material1

The transport regulations are not applicable for radioactive material in a person
who is to be transported for medical treatment because the person has been
subject to accidental or deliberate intake of radioactive material or to
contamination and natural material and ores containing naturally occurring
radionuclides, which may have been processed, provided the activity
concentration of the material does not exceed 10 times the values exempted
value specified in transport regulations of IAEA [1]

2.0 Objectives of the transport regulations

The objective of the recommended regulations for the safe transport of

radioactive materials is to protect the public, transport workers, property, and
environment from both the direct and indirect effects of radiation during transport.
Protection is achieved by containment of the radioactive contents, control of
external radiation levels, prevention of criticality, prevention of damage caused by
heat.

These requirements are met primarily by applying a graded approach to contents

limits for packages and conveyances and to performance standards applied to
package designs, depending upon the hazard of the radioactive contents.
Secondarily, they are satisfied by imposing conditions on the design and
operation of packages and on the maintenance of packaging, including
consideration of the nature of the radioactive contents. Tertiary, they are satisfied
by requiring administrative controls that includes approval by competent authority
wherever required.

The intention is to ensure that as far as possible each package may be dealt with
in the same way as other potentially hazardous goods that are carried by
conventional means of transport and handled by workers with no specialized
training. From safety point of view, reliance is, therefore, placed principally on the
package design rather than on operational controls.

Safety in transport of radioactive material2

The underlying philosophy is that as far as possible the consignor should be
responsible for ensuring safety during the transport. Those who prepare each
package for shipment are responsible for ensuring that regulatory requirements
are met. This minimizes the contribution required from carriers, and allows
consignments of radioactive materials to be transported with minimal special
handling; transport industry workers are expected to treat radioactive
consignments with care, but with no more care than that accorded to other UN
designated dangerous goods.

3.0 United Nations (UN) Number, Limits on activity and classification of

sources

Radioactive material is assigned with an appropriate UN number as given in

Table 1 (Annexure 1). The amount of radionuclide that can be sent in a transport
consignment is restricted to A1 values when the source is made in a special form
otherwise it is restricted to A 2 values. Special form radioactive material means
that the source is made as an indispersible solid radioactive material or a sealed
capsule. A1, A2 values, and exempted values for some of the radionuclides are
given in Table 2.

Table 1 Examples of UN numbers and proper shipping name and

description for various types of packages
Assignment of UN PROPER SHIPPING NAME and description
numbers
Exempted package
UN 2908 RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, EXCEPTED
PACKAGE —EMPTY PACKAGING
UN 2911 RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, EXCEPTED
PACKAGE —
INSTRUMENTS or ARTICLES
Low specific activity material
UN 2912 RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, LOW SPECIFIC
ACTIVITY 
(LSA-I), non-fissile or fissile-excepted
UN 3325 RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, LOW SPECIFIC

Safety in transport of radioactive material3

 ACTIVITY (LSA-III), FISSILE
Surface contaminated objects
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
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
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
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
UN 3330 RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TYPE C PACKAGE,
FISSILE
Special arrangement
UN 2919 RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TRANSPORTED
UNDER
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT, non-fissile or fissile-
excepted
UN 3331 RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TRANSPORTED
UNDER SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT, FISSILE

Uranium hexafluoride
UN 2977 RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, URANIUM
HEXAFLUORIDE,
FISSILE

Safety in transport of radioactive material4

 TABLE 2 List of exempted quantities, A1 and A2 values for a few
radionuclides
Radionuclid Activity Activity limit A1 A2
e concentration for an (TBq) (TBq)
limit for an exempt
exempt material consignmen
(Bq/g) t (Bq)
Co-60 10 105 0.4 0.4
Ir-192 10 104 1.0 0.6
4
Cs-137 10 10 2 0.6
6
Se-75 100 10 3 3
I-131 100 105 3 0.7
Pu-239 1 104 10 10-3
3
Nat. U 1 10 Unlimite Unlimite
d d
Beta emitters 10 104 0.1 0.02
Alpha 0.1 103 0.2 9 x 10-5
emitters
Neutron 10-1 103 0.001 9 x 10-5
emitters or
no data
available

4.0 Classification of materials

Low specific activity material

Low specific activity (LSA) material shall mean radioactive material that by its
nature has a limited specific activity, or radioactive material for which limits of
estimated average specific activity apply. LSA is further classified into three
groups viz., LSA-I, LSA-II and LSA-III

Example for LSA-I: Uranium and thorium ores and concentrates of such ores and
other ores containing naturally occurring radionuclides.
Example for LSA-II: Water with a tritium concentration of up to 0.8 TBq/L;
Example for LSA-III: The estimated average specific activity of the solid,
excluding any shielding material, does not exceed 2 × 10 –3 A2 / g.

Safety in transport of radioactive material5

Surface contaminated object

Surface contaminated object (SCO) shall mean a solid object that is not itself
radioactive but which has radioactive material distributed on its surface. SCO is
further classified into two groups:
Example for SCO-I: A solid object on which the non-fixed contamination on the
accessible surface averaged over 300 cm2 (or the area of the surface if less than
300 cm2) does not exceed 4 Bq/cm2 for beta and gamma emitters and low
toxicity alpha emitters, or 0.4 Bq/cm2 for all other alpha emitters.

Example for SCO-II: A solid object on which either the fixed or non-fixed
contamination on the surface exceeds the applicable limits specified for SCO-I
and The non-fixed contamination on the accessible surface averaged over 300
cm2 (or the area of the surface if less than 300 cm2) does not
exceed 400 Bq/cm2 for beta and gamma emitters and low toxicity alpha emitters,
or 40 Bq/cm2 for all other alpha emitters.

Special form radioactive material

Special form radioactive material shall mean either an indispersible solid

radioactive material or a sealed capsule containing radioactive material.

Low dispersible radioactive material

Low dispersible radioactive material shall mean either a solid radioactive material
or a solid radioactive material in a sealed capsule that has limited dispersibility
and is not in powder form.

Fissile material

Fissile material and packages containing fissile material shall be classified under
the relevant entry as “FISSILE”, in accordance with Table 1.

Safety in transport of radioactive material6

5.0 Classification of Packages

Radioactive materials are allowed to be transported only in packages, which

have been designed to the prescribed standards. “Package” shall mean the
packaging together with its radioactive contents as presented for transport. A
graded approach is applied in specifying the performance standards in these
regulations, which are characterized in terms of three general severity levels of
Routine conditions of transport (incident free), Normal conditions of transport
(minor mishaps) and Accident conditions of transport.

In the NORMAL conditions of transport, packages may be subjected to rough

handling, rain and minor mishaps. Under ACCIDENT conditions, it is assumed
that the vehicle carrying radioactive material may collide head-on with another
vehicle and then engulfed in fire. The type of packaging used to transport
radioactive material obviously depends on the nature of the material itself and its
activity or quantity. In this context, two terms need to be explained with regard to
the physical form of the radioactive material that is to be transported. A
radioactive material is stated to be in an ‘unsealed form’ or ‘normal form’ if it is in
a readily dispersible state (solid, liquid, gas, friable solid etc.) and hence has
potential for both internal and external exposure. On the other hand, the material
is stated to be in a ‘sealed form’ or ‘special form’ (indispersible or sealed
capsule), if it is not in a readily dispersible state and hence has potential for
external exposure only. The regulatory requirements clearly dictate the type of
packaging to be chosen. There are five classes of packages:
- Excepted Packages
- Industrial Packages (Types IP-1, IP-2 and IP-3)
- Type A Packages (Types A1 and A2)
- Type B (U) / B (M) Packages (U-unilateral; M-multilateral)
- Type C Packages

Excepted packages are those, which contain very small quantities of radioactive
material and therefore are excepted from transport regulations. An accident
involving such packages will not cause a radiation emergency in the public

Safety in transport of radioactive material7

domain. AERB guidelines require only proper documentation with respect to
these packages. For example, smoke detectors, radio immuno assay (RIA) kits
and fluorescent lamp starters are transported in ‘excepted’ packages. It contains
radioactive material not exceeding the activity limits of 10 -4 A2 to 10-3 A1 values.
The radiation level at any point on the external surface of an excepted package
shall not exceed 5 μSv/h.

Industrial packages (IP) are used on a wide scale. They have a simple design
and are meant for transporting radioactive materials with Low Specific Activity
(LSA) and Surface Contaminated Objects (SCO), which are considered
intrinsically safe – for example, natural Uranium or Thorium, and tritiated heavy
water. The quantity of LSA material or SCO in a single Type IP-1, Type IP-2, Type
IP-3, or object or collection of objects, whichever is appropriate, shall be so
restricted that the external radiation level at 3 m from the unshielded material or
object or collection of objects does not exceed 10 mSv/h.

Type A packages are the ones most commonly used (about 75% to 80%). They
are designed to be safe enough to withstand the NORMAL conditions of transport
but may fail under ACCIDENT conditions. The quantity and type of radioactive
material permitted to be transported in these packages are limited to the extent
that even if these packages are involved in an accident, any possible release of
radioactivity / radiation in the public domain would be well within the regulatory
limits. The samples of these packages are actually tested out by simulating the
NORMAL conditions of transport. These tests include water spray test, a free
drop test, stacking test and a penetration test. Examples of these packages are
those used to transport radiopharmaceuticals and nucleonic gauges. Type A
packages shall contain activity not greater than A 1 value in case of special form
radioactive material and A2 value for all other forms of radioactive material.

Type B (U) / B (M) packages are designed to be safe enough to withstand under
NORMAL as well as ACCIDENT conditions arising during its transport. The

Safety in transport of radioactive material8

samples of these packages are actually tested out by simulating accident
conditions to demonstrate their integrity. For example, they are subjected to
various tests viz., 1) a drop test (dropping the package from a height of 9 meters
on to a hard unyielding surface and followed by dropping it on a mild steel bar
from a height of one meter), 2) a fire test (subjecting the package to a
temperature of 800 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes) and 3) a water immersion
test (subjecting the package to an external pressure equivalent to 15 or 200
meters depth of water). The difference between type B (U) and B (M) packages
essentially pertains to their certification for international use. Type B (U)
certification by the AERB would be accepted internationally and type B (M)
certification would need to be revalidated by the appropriate regulatory authority
of the concerned country through which the package would transit.

Type C packages are designed to withstand very severe accident conditions

characteristic of transport by air. The criteria for testing these packages include
very high impact test (equivalent to velocities of 90 meters per second),
enhanced fire tests (say at 800 degrees Celsius for 60 minutes) and puncture /
tearing tests. The activity that can be transported in a Type B(U) and Type B(M)
packages is summarized as (a) For low dispersible radioactive material — as
authorized for the package design as specified in the certificate of approval, (b)
For special form radioactive material — 3000A 1 or 105A2, whichever is the lower;
(c) For all other radioactive material — 3000A2.

5.0 Labeling and marking

The radioactive source should be transported only in a shielded container, the

design of which has been previously approved by the Competent Authority. The
source must be fastened within the shielded container by means of appropriate
locking mechanism incorporated in the design of the shielded container. The lid
or shutter of the shielded container must be securely closed and locked so that
the source would not be released during the transport. The shielded container
must be loaded in an outer container such as a sturdy wooden box provided with
Safety in transport of radioactive material9
spacers within for preventing free movement of the shielded container inside,
during transport. It must be ensured that the outer container deployed for
housing the loaded shielded container is in sound condition. The outer container
must be provided with strong lifting handles in order to facilitate handling of the
loaded container. The outer container must be closed and locked. The outer
container housing the shielded container duly incorporating the source is referred
to as the package.

The radiation level on the external surface of the package must be monitored
using an appropriate radiation survey meter properly calibrated and in good
working condition. The maximum radiation level at the external surface of the
package should be recorded. If it is observed that this radiation level is zero or
very low, then the observation must be counter-checked by means of another
radiation survey meter which is known to be in good working condition and by
appropriately making sure that the source is contained within. In the case of
teleflex type cameras care must be taken to ensure that the source is in the safe
position within the shielded container and that it does not remain in the guide
tube during transport. The camera must be securely locked to prevent
movement of the source during transport.

Transport index for a package shall mean the number expressing the maximum
radiation level in mrem/h at one meter from the external surface of the package.
The transport index of the package must be determined by means of an
appropriate radiation survey meter in good working condition and this transport
index must be mentioned clearly along with other details on the package. It is
the label affixed on the package, which communicates with the outside world
about the nature of the consignment. The presence of a label makes it clear to
the onlooker that the package contains a material, which may be special. The
legend RADIOACTIVE written on the label clearly announces the exact nature of
the contents. For those who may not be able to read the inscription, the
radioactive symbol would indicate the nature of consignment. It is helpful to

Safety in transport of radioactive material10

know the symbols, which represent the various materials such as explosives,
inflammables, corrosives, and poisons. The labels, affixed on the exterior of the
package, furnish the following particulars regarding the package:
 Contents are radioactive
 The name of the radioactive source and its activity
 Type of the package
 Category of the package
 Transport index
 Gross weight of the package
 Addresses of sender and receiver
A package may belong to one of the following categories:
 Category I – WHITE label ( Annexure -1)
 Category II – YELLOW label
 Category III – YELLOW label
The total sum of the transport indices of the packages in any one large freight
container shall not normally exceed 50. Transport index and the maximum
radiation level at any point on external surface of the packages for the above
mentioned categories of packages are given in Table 3.

The appropriate category label must be affixed at least on the two opposite sides
of the exterior of each package (The radioactive trefoil symbol, labels for the
three categories, and the placard for vehicles are given in the figures). As
mentioned earlier, the addresses of the consignor and the consignee must be
clearly and unambiguously inscribed on the exterior of the package. The
package must not be transported as personal luggage. The package must
always be booked as a cargo by road, rail, air or water. The package must be
declared as a radioactive consignment UN class 7 in the transport documents. It
may be seen from the different category labels and placard for vehicle that
number 7 is inscribed as per the classification of dangerous goods by UN. The
nine classes as determined by the UN Committee of experts on the transport of
dangerous goods, are given in the Annexure 1. While booking the cargo, a
certificate must be issued by the consignor to the effect that the package
containing a radioactive material has been properly packed, marked and labeled
and the consignment is in conformity with the requirements for the safe transport
of radioactive materials. The consignee must be duly informed and it must be

Safety in transport of radioactive material11

ensured that the consignee would be willing to clear the consignment (prior to
dispatch of the package to any destination). The carrier shall be instructed as
follows:
 The package must be transported by the direct route
 Intermediate off-loading must be avoided
 The package must be handled carefully; fork lifts/cranes/pallet
trucks should be used, if package weighs more than 30 kg
 Persons must not be allowed to sit on the package or to spend
more than the necessary time in the vicinity of the package
 The packages must not be transported along with other
dangerous goods such as explosives and inflammables
 The package must be kept segregated from spaces occupied by
passengers and public

TABLE 3: Categories of packages

Maximum radiation levels at

Transport Index (TI) any point on external Category
surface
Not more than 0.005 mSv/h
Zero (0) I - WHITE
(0.5 mrem/h)
More than
more than zero (0), but 0.005 mSv/h (50 mrem/h)
II - YELLOW
not more than one (1) But not more than
2 mSv/h (200 mrem/h)
More than
more than one (1), but 0.005 mSv/h (0.5 mrem/h)
III - YELLOW
not more than 10 But not more than
0.5 mSv/h (50 mrem/h)
More than
III - YELLOW
2 mSv/h (200 mrem/h)
more than 10 And also under
But not more than
exclusive use
10 mSv/h (1000 mrem/h)

6.0 Emergency procedure

As a measure of abundant caution, it is necessary to develop emergency

response procedures for accidents involving radioactive shipments. Any off-
normal situation arising during transport which has a potential to result in or has
actually resulted in reduction in or loss of either the shielding integrity of a
package containing radioactive material or the containment integrity of a package

Safety in transport of radioactive material12

containing radioactive material or both is called an emergency. During such
emergencies, the response actions are to be planned such that dose to individual
radiation worker does not exceed 0.1 Sv and dose to public is as low as
reasonably achievable.
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has appointed the Crisis Management
Group (CMG) for co-ordinating the response efforts in the event of any off-site
radiological emergency including those involving radioactive shipments. The
CMG has drawn up a emergency response procedure manual specifying action
plans for various agencies.

Every shipment of radioactive material is required to be accompanied by

emergency instructions for the members of the crew and persons on the scene in
the event of an emergency involving the shipment. The instructions include
actions to be taken in the event of injury (first aid), fire, spill or leak and other
precautionary ones. These instructions are referred to as the TREMCARD
(TRansport EMergency CARD). The TREMCARD will also contain the
addresses, fax numbers and telephone numbers of the sender, the receiver, DAE
emergency control room and Head, Radiological Physics and Advisory Division
(RPAD), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai.

7.0 Conclusion

The packages containing radioactive materials should be properly identifiable by

the labels affixed on them. Transport of radioactive materials in accordance with
the transport regulations is not significantly different from the transport of other
materials. Many of the measures taken in the case of transport of radioactive
material are intended to preclude the possibility of an emergency. Yet, as in the
case of any emergency preparedness plan, the success of the plan depends
entirely upon proper coordination among the various agencies involved.

Reference:

Safety in transport of radioactive material13

IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, Specific Safety
Requirements, No. SSR-6, Pub-1570, 2012

Safety in transport of radioactive material14

 Annexure 1
Classification of Dangerous Goods

The nine classes are as determined by the UN committee of experts on the transport of
dangerous goods. The UN classes relate to the type of hazard.

1 Explosives
2 Gases(Compressed, liquefied, dissolved under pressure, deeply refrigerated)
3 Flammable liquids
Flammable solids (substances liable to spontaneous combustion, substances
4
which on contact with matter emit flammable gases)
5 Oxidizing substances (organic peroxides)
6 Poisonous (toxic) and infectious substances
7 Radioactive materials
8 Corrosives
9 Miscellaneous dangerous goods
The classes have been arranged for convenience by the type of hazard involved and the
order in which it is written above dose not imply a relative degree of danger.

Basic trefoil symbol with proportions based on a central circle of radius 4mm

Basic trefoil symbol with proportions based on a

central circle of radius 4 mm

Safety in transport of radioactive material15

 Category I – White label
Dimensions given here are actual ones to be used

Category II – yellow label

Category II- yellow label
Dimensions
Dimensionsgiven hereare
given here areactual
actual once
ones to betoused
be used

Safety in transport of radioactive material16

 Category III – yellow label
Category III – Yellow label
Dimensions given
Dimensions here
given hereare
arethe actual
actual once
ones to to be used
be used

Placard for vehicles

Placard for vehicles
Maximum dimensions are given; when large dimensions are used the relative
Minimum dimensions are given; when large dimensions are used the relative
proportions must be maintained
proportions must be maintained.

Safety in transport of radioactive material17

Safety in transport of radioactive material18