IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1996 EDITION OF THE IAEA REGULATIONS FOR THE SAFE TRANSPORT OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) completed a 10 year review and revision of its «Regulations for the Safe Transport ofRadioactive Material»[ I] with approval of the amendments by its Board of Governors in September 1996. The revised edition contains some important changes in the regulations, including: • Type C package requirements; • provisions for low dispersible material; • uranium hexafluoride packaging; • exemption value specifications; and, • operational requirements, including the creation of a criticality safety index and new proper shipping names/UN numbers. The 1996 edition of the IAEA regulations has been published and corresponding revisions are now being considered by the international transport safety organizations and Member States. In particular, the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, International Civil Aviation Organization and International Maritime Organization are preparing revisions to take into account the revised Class 7 requirements. An effective date of 1 January 2001 has been recommended so that international and domestic requirements might come into force simultaneously, thereby avoiding disruptive out-of-phase implementation. This paper provides information on the history of the international regulations regulating Class 7 transport, highlights major changes in the IAEA regulations and provides information on the status and plans of the international organizations with respect to their revisions.