17 years of Working Practice of the WNTI HEXT Industry Working Group

The World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI) was founded in 1998 to represent the collective interests of the radioactive materials transport sector. The WNTI has grown substantially since, with member companies representing a wide range of the industry sectors.Within WNTI, the HEXT WG (Uranium HEXafluoride Transport Industry Working Group) was established in end 1999, to investigate the consequences of the new requirements for uranium hexafluoride (UF6) in the 1996 Edition of the International Atomic Energy Agency Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (IAEA ST-1).From this initial cooperation, the HEXT WG developed into a forum that exchanges industry experience on the handling and transport of UF6 and cooperates and collaborates on the implementation of regulatory requirements. Where necessary topical technical meetings are held and task forces are formed. Industry consortia have been established to not only share experience and expertise, but also to allow for sharing of cost for research and development.This paper reviews 17 years of working practice, describing several issues that have been addressed and the communications involved with regulators and competent authorities, including the challenges from the complex structure of the transport regulations for radioactive material and other dangerous goods.