Review of Freight Container Related Provisions in the IAEA Transport Regulations

In the 2012 Edition of the IAEA Transport Regulations (SSR-6, the Regulations), the requirement of “a permanent enclosed character” has been deleted from the definition of the freight containers (para. 223). Consequently, open-type containers, which may not have a roof or side walls, used for the transport of radioactive material are to be defined as freight containers. Since open-type containers may not have a roof or side walls, requirements in the Regulations such as listed below need interpretation to be applied with considerations of consistency among the countries.Categorization (small/large freight containers) based on its internal volumeDetermination of the Transport Index (TI) by the measurementApplication of exclusive use and TI/CSI (Criticality Safety Index) limits based on the freight container definitionLabels and placards to be affixed on side wallsFrom the viewpoint of consistency between SSR-6 and United Nation Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods – Model Regulations (UNOB) and other transport modal regulations, incorporation of conformance with the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC) to the definition of freight containers in SSR-6 was also considered. When incorporated, the following changes were foreseen.Simplification of freight container related provisions in SSR-6 and other modal regulations.No “small freight container” in SSR-6 and other modal regulations.Containers without CSC conformance would be defined as overpacks.Change proposals related to freight containers were submitted to the 2015 initiated review cycle of SSR-6 by Japan who led the Corresponding Group on Freight Containers. The proposals were discussed in TRANSSC31 and approved except the introduction of CSC since its consequences were unclear. As a result, following proposals have been forwarded to the revision cycle.Regulations (SSR-6): Configuration of labels, placards to be consistent with UNOB Advisory Material (SSG-26): Interpretations on the internal volume, TI determination by the measurement and how to fix labels and placards to open type freight containers.