Harmonization of the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Model Regulations, and the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material

This paper explains how IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material are reflected in the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Model Regulations (UN Orange Book) and thereafter in the various legal instruments effectively regulating such transport based on the UN Orange Book. It suggests some reasons why inconsistencies occur between such instruments and the IAEA Regulations. Activities carried out internationally during the last IAEA revision cycle and the previous one to reduce inconsistencies are described, in particular the cooperation between TRANSSC and the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (SCETDG) and their respective secretariats (secretariat of the IAEA and of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)). During past years, this cooperation has been significantly strengthened. New activities to improve harmonization and maintain it have been put in place and should lead to better understanding between the various experts and authorities involved and at the end, not only better harmonization but also better implementation. The Class 7 provisions of the UN Orange Book (18th revised edition) have been brought in line with those of SSR-6, and those of the major international legal instruments regulating transport of radioactive material by specific modes of transport are currently being amended accordingly for application as from 1 January 2015, but a number of issues requiring further cooperation have been identified and would need to be addressed in future.-Continuous cooperation will be essential for further progress, but this means not only cooperation between organizations, it means also improved communication and discussion between experts and authorities for the transport of radioactive material and all experts and authorities for the transport of dangerous goods in general for all modes of transport.