SUMMARY REPORT OH IDO CONFERENCE ON ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECTS OF NUCLEAR SAFETY IN THE TRANSPORT OF FISSIONABLE MATERIALS

On October 27 and 23, 19oO, the Hazards Control Branch of the Health and Safety Division of the Idaho Operations Office hosted a conference at Idaho Falls, Idaho, on administrative aspects of nuclear safety in transporting fissionable materials. Present at this meeting were representatives of all the AEC Operations Offices, the Office of Health and Safety, the Division of Licensing and Regulations, and of a number of the Commission's prime contractors. This conference was called because of our interest in the nuclear safety of fissionable materials shipments, a steadily expanding function and one which has been lacking in regulatory standards throughout the'Commission's activities. Our two-fold objective was to determine what methods were being employed throughout the industry to assure nuclear safety during transport, and to encourage the formulation of regulatory standards and procedures which would serve the whole nuclear industry. Coincidental with, our efforts, on August 25, 19&>, a meeting vas held at the Hew York Office of the Bureau of Explosives of the Association of American Railroads (the Bureau is an advisory group to the Interstate Commerce Commission) with a number of AEC and AEC-contractor personnel attending. The subject of discussion was the safe transport of fissionable materials. A committee was appointed to consider the preparation of technical standards for the safe transport of these materials. Shortly before the Idaho meeting date we learned of the other group' s activities and that it was scheduling a second meeting in Chicago for the same day that our meeting would begin - October 27th. Because of the effort expended in arranging the Idaho meeting and the. interest expressed by our invitees, the Idaho Operations Office decided to proceed with this conference in the hope of adding support and impetus to the efforts the other group was making.