A REVIEW OF ENVIRONMENT EXPERIENCED BY PACKAGES IN TRANSPORT

As the transport conditions were defined 50 years ago, it seems legitimate to raise again the issue of their pertinence. A review of routine, normal and accident conditions of transport is then necessary to take into account the new transport environment as the impact of climate changes, the new transport practices... Additionally, the very less likely accident that is to say beyond the regulatory requirements should be considered especially taking into account the Fukushima lessons. The IAEA General Conference requested a review of the environment experienced in the transport as inputs for next edition of the regulations and its guidance and the Secretariat addressed these issues and envisaged eventual inputs for next edition of the regulations and its guidance. Such a meeting was convened in July 2013 in Vienna (TM). As for the review of the routine and normal regulatory requirements/guidance performed during the TM, presentations were made during the first two days of the TM by experts in transport environment and it has been recommended to TRANSSC the formation of expert working groups to review Appendix IV “Package Stowage and Retention During Transport” of Advisory Material for the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (TS-G-1.1), air/maritime transport practices, and segregation of radioactive material from other dangerous goods for all modes of transport. It has also been recommended to consider in the current review/revision cycle proposals on the shipment of packages that includes mechanical cooling systems, accumulation of packages, whose content generates heat, on the same vehicle and impact of the conveyances on the temperatures. TM has also recommended Member States to collect data about extreme ambient temperatures and insolation. For accident conditions of transport, TM has also recommended to consider in the current review/revision cycle the increase of duration for the immersion test for packages containing fissile material and a modification of an applicability condition for the dynamic crush test. TM has also recommended to introduce as an urgent issue in the current review/revision cycle of the SSR- 6 a clear requirement on emergency preparedness. In addition, TM has recommended the revision of the TS-G-1.2 guidance to be done in this cycle. Concerning very less likely accidents (that is to say beyond regulatory requirements), it was agreed that some guidance would be necessary in TS-G-1.2 which is under revision and that no change in the regulation is expected. Concerning the various environment stresses to which a package is likely to be subject for the routine, normal and accident conditions of transport, the current regulatory test regimes were considered to remain appropriate except for the minor changes TM has identified.