The Design, Manufacture, and Testing of a New Generation of ISO Freight Container for Certification as an IP-2 Package in Compliance With the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, 1985 Edition (as Amended 1990)

During the operation and maintenance of nuclear power stations and other nuclear facilities, potentially or lightly radioactively contaminated solid waste materials, such as paper, plastics, filters, clothing, wood, and metallic items routinely arise. These items of waste are generally classified as low level waste (LL W) which within the United Kingdom is defined as having a radioactivity content not exceeding 12 GBq/tonne beta/gamma and 4 GBq/tonne alpha As such, LLW does not normally require shielding during normal handling and transport. In the United Kingdom, LL W is containerised and routinely disposed of at the British Nuclear Fuels' site at Drigg, in Cumbria, in concrete-lined engineered vaults. During the earlier years of containerised waste disposal, full height ISO freight containers were disposed of as part of the waste packaging. It was soon realised that this was uneconomic and a further container, based upon a half height design of the unit was developed, a variation on which is currently in use today, for supercompacted drums, or pucks and larger, bulky items of solid LLW. Full height ISO freight containers, refurbished to incorporate a number of enhanced features were used in compliance with the 1973 Edition and 1985 Edition of the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material but it was recognised as being an interim measure only. A purpose built unit in compliance with the 1990 revision to the 1985 Edition of the Regulations was necessary.