THE NEED FOR IMPROVED CLARITY IN THE WRITING OF TRANSPORT REGULATIONS

The IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material have been developed over 50 years and provide a good basis for safe transport. The aim is for these regulations to provide a global standard for transport of radioactive material, particularly international transport. Differences in the application of the regulations may not directly lead to safety concerns, but can lead to problems with, inter-alia, transport documents, package marking and potentially with classification. The source of such differences can often be found in different interpretations of the text, particularly when translated. This paper examines the benefits of adopting a rigorous approach to clear text, both in vocabulary and structure and argues that a comprehensive review of the current requirements will aid the adoption of a common standard on a wider basis. Through specific examples it will demonstrate how a common interpretation can be better achieved in different languages through clear English text. In addition, because the goal for international regulations is universal adoption, which means a large number of users, the extent to which frequent redrafting of the regulatory text increases the risk of interpretation discrepancies, will also be discussed.