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DG70u—Dangerous Goods: Radioactive Materials for Shippers and Forwarders

Subscriber price: $367.00, Non-subscriber price: $475.00
Estimated total study time: 15 hours 23 minutes

This course provides advanced awareness and procedural training in the shipment of radioactive materials (RM) by all modes of transportation. Coverage here significantly exceeds the Class 7 general awareness training found in most general-purpose DG certification training, and assumes the student has already been trained and certified in general dangerous goods shipping requirements. It is intended as advanced training for shippers, freight forwarders and other transportation personnel who will physically handle, arrange shipment of and/or load radioactive materials (other than RM in limited quantities and/or excepted packaging) into overpacks and conveyances, including intermodal containers.

Important: This course is not complete employee Dangerous Goods/Hazmat certification training. Rather it should be used as an add-on to general-purpose certification training. Nor is this training sufficient to qualify a person to classify RM, design packaging for RM or apply for Competent Authority approvals.

This training does not provide function-specific level training for shippers and others responsible for preparing radioactive materials for shipment with respect to:

• Determining activity level;
• Packaging design, fabrication and testing;
• Determining transport index (TI) and/or criticality safety index (CSI)
• Application for national Competent Authority packaging and routing approvals when required
• UN number classification
• Application for transportation carrier approvals when required.

Competency in these functions requires a deeper understanding of the physical and chemical properties of radioactive materials, and package engineering expertise, than will be trained herein.

This course provides numerous references to the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, international DG regulations (ICAO Technical Instructions, IMDG Code), and the U.S. Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR 171-180). A cross-reference of references to the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations is also provided. Full access to the IAEA regulations and the U.S. Hazardous Materials Regulations is available free on-line; access to the current version of one of the other regulations above would also be helpful but not required to complete this training.

A Unique Hazard

This lesson introduces the health threat posed by the three types of radiation emitted by radioactive materials.

(Estimated study time: 51 minutes)

• GISTnet Coverage of Radioactive Materials Is Limited
• Radioactive Materials are a Unique Hazard

Imperatives for Safe Transportation of RM; Understanding "Activity Level"

This lesson introduces basic safety imperatives for safe transportation and storage of radioactive materials, for which an understanding of "activity level" is needed.

(Estimated study time: 52 minutes)

• Imperatives for Safe Transportation of Radioactive Materials
• "Activity Level" of Radioactive Materials
  • Understanding Radioactive "Activity"
    • Understanding Radioactive "Activity" (U.S.)
  • Using Activity Level for Shipments Containing Known Radionuclides (Isotopes) to Determine DGR Transport Requirements
  • Determining Activity Level of a Unknown Isotope, Mixtures and Solutions
  • Using the Table to Determine DGR Transport Criteria

International and U.S. HMR (49 CFR) Regulation of RM Shipments

This lesson identifies the international regulations and U.S. regulations that that govern the shipment of RM, and the particular sections that address classification, packing instructions, shipper responsibilities, marking, labeling, placarding and the design and testing of packaging.

Also addressed are RM shipments that present such low risk that they are not regulated as dangerous goods for transportation.

(Estimated study time: 52 minutes)

• Radioactive Materials Shipping Regulations
  • U.S. HMR Provisions for Radioactive Materials
    • U.S. Hazardous Materials Regulations Relating to Radioactive Materials
    • Use of International DGR for U.S. Shipments
• Types of Radioactive Materials Not Regulated as DG Class 7
  • Types of Radioactive Materials Not Regulated as Class 7 (U.S.)

Limitations on Commercial Transportation of Radioactive Materials by Transport Mode

This lesson addresses general limitations on the shipment of radioactive materials by mode of transport.

(Estimated study time: 1 hour 0 minutes)

• General RM Limitations—All Transport Modes
• RM Air Shipment Limitations
  • RM Prohibited for Air Shipment
  • Air Shipment Limitations By Package Contents and Type of Aircraft
    • RM Air Shipment Limitations (U.S)
• RM Vessel Shipment Limitations, Freight Containers
  • RM Vessel Shipment Limitations, Freight Containers (U.S)
• RM Shipment Limitations, Rail and Road (Truck) Movement
  • RM Shipment Limitations, Rail and Road (Truck) Movement (U.S.)
• Limitation on Radioactive Materials Which Can be Mailed

RM Packages and Shipments Requiring Government Approval; Summary of RM Shipper Responsibilities

This lesson addresses the shipper's responsibility for RM shipments requiring Type B and Type C packages to obtain approval from the Competent Authority(s) of country(s) through which shipments so packed will pass prior to shipment. This lesson also reviews general shipper responsibilities as they apply to shipment of RM.

(Estimated study time: 50 minutes)

• Prior Competent Authority Approvals for Some RM Shipments
  • Packaging Design and Testing
  • Competent Authority Approval Required for Type B and C Packages Prior to First Use in Transportation
    • Packaging Design and Package Approval (U.S.)
  • Specific Shipment Approvals
    • Specific Shipment Approvals (U.S.)
  • Transportation Carrier Acceptance
• Shipper's Responsibilities for Radioactive Material—General

Categorization and Classification

(Estimated study time: 52 minutes)

• Categorization and Classification of Radioactive Materials
  • Categorization of Radioactive Materials by Their Characteristics
  • UN Number Classification of Radioactive Materials

Requirements for Specific Shipments of Radioactive Materials

(Estimated study time: 56 minutes)

• Requirements for Specific Shipments of Radioactive Materials
  • RM Hazards and Shipment Criteria are Different
  • Overview of Steps to Determine RM Shipment Requirements
    • Overview of Steps to Determine RM Shipment Requirements

Requirements for Specific Shipments of Radioactive Materials, cont.

(Estimated study time: 51 minutes)

• Transport Index (TI) – General
• Determining the Transport Index for a Single Package, Overpack or Freight Container
• Criticality Safety Index For Shipment of Fissile Material
  • Shipment of Fissile Material, Criticality Safety Index
• Putting All the Limits Together to Determine Overall Package and Shipment Limits (TI, CSI and Surface Radiation Limits)

Introduction to Radioactive Materials Packaging

(Estimated study time: 58 minutes)

• A Very Specialized and Important Undertaking
• Carrier and Forwarder Personnel Risks
• RM Packing Imperatives
• Regulations Specifying RM Packing Requirements
• Radiation Measurement Essential to Package Testing and Worker Safety
• Overview of Types/Nomenclature of RM Packaging

Excepted Packages

(Estimated study time: 45 minutes)

• Excepted Packages (for Radioactive Materials)
  • General—An Exception for Low Risk RM Shipments
  • Activity Limits for Use of an Excepted Package
  • Basic Conditions on Use of Excepted Packages
  • Additional Conditions on Use of Excepted Packages
  • Requirements Not Altered For Shipments Made Under Excepted Package Provisions
  • Benefits of Using Excepted Packages

Industrial Package (IP); Type A Package

(Estimated study time: 1 hour 9 minutes)

• Industrial Package
  • Industrial Package – General
  • Type of Industrial Package (IP) Required Based on LSA or SCO Category
  • Alternative Forms of an "Industrial Package" Types IP-2 and IP-3
• Type A Package
  • Type A Package – Limits by Material To Be Shipped
  • Type A Package – Design and Testing Requirements

Type B Package, Type C Package

(Estimated study time: 50 minutes)

• Type B Packaging
  • Type B Package – General
  • Type B Package – Design and Testing Requirements
  • Type B Package Approval by Competent Authority
• Type C Package

Competent Authority Package and Shipment Approval, Package Marking Requirements

(Estimated study time: 1 hour 5 minutes)

• Competent Authority Packaging/Shipment Configuration Design Approval—When Required
• Competent Authority Pre-Shipment Notification and Approval—When Required
• Marking Requirements for RM Packages and Overpacks
• Marking Requirements by Type of Package

Package Labeling, Conveyance Placarding

(Estimated study time: 55 minutes)

• Labeling of Packages Containing Radioactive Materials
  • RM Transportation Categories
  • Class 7 Hazard Labels
• Placarding of Conveyances Carrying Radioactive Materials

Shipper's Documentation, Special Provisions for Excepted Packages

(Estimated study time: 51 minutes)

• Shipper's Documentation of Radioactive Materials
• Special Marking, Labeling and Documentation Provisions for Excepted Packages of RM

Stowage of Radioactive Materials into Freight Containers and Conveyances

(Estimated study time: 43 minutes)

• Stowage of Radioactive Materials into Freight Containers and Conveyances
  • Ocean/Intermodal Containers for Surface Transport
    • Segregation During Transport and Storage In Transit:
    • Stowage During Transport and Storage In Transit
  • Additional Requirements Relating to Transport by Rail and Road
  • Additional Requirements Relating to Transport by Vessels
  • Stowage of RM into Aircraft Containers

Air Shipment of Radioactive Materials; Forwarder Concerns with RM

(Estimated study time: 1 hour 4 minutes)

• Additional Concerns with Air Shipment of Radioactive Materials
• Special Concerns for Freight Forwarders Handling Radioactive Materials
  • General Concerns & Procedures
  • Cargo Terminal Safety
  • Response to Damaged RM Packages and Emergencies Involving RM