Why \"No Leakage\" Is Enough for Type A Packages: A Regulatory Point of View

The 1985 Edition of the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (Safety Series No. 6, 1985) establishes for different kinds of packages the applicable tests and the respective after-test acceptance requirements. In particular, paragraph 548 of the Regulations establishes that Type B packages shall be so designed that, if they were subjected to the tests for demonstrating ability to withstand normal conditions of transport, the loss of radioactive contents shall be restricted to not more than A2 E-06 per hour. On the other hand, paragraph 537 of the Regulations establishes that Type A and Industrial packages Type 2 and Type 3 shall be so designed that, when subjected to the tests for demonstrating ability to withstand normal conditions of transport, it would prevent loss or dispersal of the radioactive contents.