“Chapter 1.5 – General provisions concerning class 7
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Maritime Safety Committee - Resolution MSC.262(84) – Adoption of Amendments to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code – (Adopted on 16 May 2008) - Annex – Amendments to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code - Part 1 - “Chapter 1.5 – General provisions concerning class 7

“Chapter 1.5 – General provisions concerning class 7

 These provisions are satisfied firstly by applying a graded approach to contents limits for packages and conveyances and to performance standards applied to package designs depending upon the hazard of the radioactive contents. Secondly, they are satisfied by imposing requirements on the design and operation of packages and on the maintenance of packagings, including a consideration of the nature of the radioactive contents. Finally, they are satisfied by requiring administrative controls including, where appropriate, approval by competent authorities.

  1.5.1.3 The provisions of this Code apply to the transport of radioactive material by sea including transport which is incidental to the use of the radioactive material. Transport comprises all operations and conditions associated with and involved in the movement of radioactive material; these include the design, manufacture, maintenance and repair of packaging, and the preparation, consigning, loading, transport including in-transit storage, unloading and receipt at the final destination of loads of radioactive material and packages. A graded approach is applied to the performance standards in the provisions of this Code that is characterized by three general severity levels:

  • .1 Routine conditions of transport (incident free);

  • .2 Normal conditions of transport (minor mishaps); and

  • .3 Accident conditions of transport.

  1.5.1.4 The provisions of this Code shall not apply to:

  • .1 Radioactive material that is an integral part of the means of transport;

  • .2 Radioactive material moved within an establishment which is subject to appropriate safety regulations in force in the establishment and where the movement does not involve public roads or railways;

  • .3 Radioactive material implanted or incorporated into a person or live animal for diagnosis or treatment;

  • .4 Radioactive material in consumer products which have received regulatory approval, following their sale to the end user;

  • .5 Natural material and ores containing naturally occurring radionuclides which are either in their natural state, or have only been processed for purposes other than for extraction of the radionuclides, and which are not intended to be processed for use of these radionuclides provided the activity concentration of the material does not exceed 10 times the values specified in 2.7.2.2.1.2, or calculated in accordance with 2.7.2.2.2 to 2.7.2.2.6; and

  • .6 Non-radioactive solid objects with radioactive substances present on any surfaces in quantities not in excess of the limit set out in the definition for “contamination” in 2.7.1.2.

  1.5.1.5 Specific provisions for the transport of excepted packages

  1.5.1.5.1 Excepted packages which may contain radioactive material in limited quantities, instruments, manufactured articles and empty packagings as specified in 2.7.2.4.1 may be transported under the following conditions:

  • .1 The applicable provisions specified in 2.0.3.5, 2.7.2.4.1.2 to 2.7.2.4.1.6 (as applicable), 4.1.9.1.2, 5.2.1.1, 5.2.1.2, 5.2.1.5.1 to 5.2.1.5.3, 5.4.1.4.1.1 and 7.3.4.2;

  • .2 The provisions for excepted packages specified in 6.4.4; and

  • .3 If the excepted package contains fissile material, one of the fissile exceptions provided by 2.7.2.3.5 shall apply and the provision of 6.4.7.2 shall be met.

  1.5.1.5.2 The following provisions shall not apply to excepted packages and the controls for transport of excepted packages: 1.4.2, 1.4.3, 2.7.2.3.3.1.1, 2.7.2.3.3.2, 4.1.9.1.3, 4.1.9.1.4, 4.1.9.1.6, 4.1.9.1.7, 5.1.3.2, 5.2.2.1.12.1, 5.4.1.5.7.1, 5.4.1.5.7.2, 5.4.1.6, 6.4.6.1, 7.1.14.11 to 7.1.14.14, 7.2.9.1, 7.2.9.2, 7.2.1 and 7.3.4.1.

Parent topic: Part 1

1.5.1 Scope and application

  1.5.1.1 The provisions of this Code establish standards of safety which provide an acceptable level of control of the radiation, criticality and thermal hazards to persons, property and the environment that are associated with the transport of radioactive material. These provisions are based on the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (2005 Edition), Safety Standards Series No. TS-R-1, IAEA, Vienna (2005). Explanatory material on the 1996 edition of TS-R-1 can be found in “Advisory Material for the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materialfootnote”, Safety Standard Series No. TS-G-1.1 (ST-2), IAEA, Vienna (2002).

  1.5.1.2 The objective of the provisions of this Code is to protect persons, property and the environment from the effects of radiation during the transport of radioactive material. This protection is achieved by requiring:

  • .1 Containment of the radioactive contents;

  • .2 Control of external radiation levels;

  • .3 Prevention of criticality; and

  • .4 Prevention of damage caused by heat.

1.5.2 Radiation protection programme

  1.5.2.1 The transport of radioactive material shall be subject to a radiation protection programme which shall consist of systematic arrangements aimed at providing adequate consideration of radiation protection measures.

  1.5.2.2 Doses to persons shall be below the relevant dose limits. Protection and safety shall be optimized in order that the magnitude of individual doses, the number of persons exposed, and the likelihood of incurring exposure shall be kept as low as reasonably achievable, economic and social factors being taken into account, within the restrictions that the doses to individual be subject to dose constraints. A structured and systematic approach shall be adopted and shall include consideration of the interfaces between transport and other activities.

  1.5.2.3 The nature and extent of the measures to be employed in the programme shall be related to the magnitude and likelihood of radiation exposures. The programme shall incorporate the provisions in 1.5.2.2, 1.5.2.4 to 1.5.2.7. Programme documents shall be available, on request, for inspection by the relevant competent authority.

  1.5.2.4 For occupational exposures arising from transport activities, where it is assessed that the effective dose:

  • .1 is likely to be between 1 and 6 mSv in a year, a dose assessment programme via workplace monitoring or individual monitoring shall be conducted;

  • .2 is likely to exceed 6 mSv in a year, individual monitoring shall be conducted.

 When individual monitoring or workplace monitoring is conducted, appropriate records shall be kept.

 Note: For occupational exposures arising from transport activities, where it is assessed that the effective dose is most unlikely to exceed 1 mSv in a year, no special work patterns, detailed monitoring, dose assessment programmes or individual record keeping need be required.

1.5.3 Quality assurance

  1.5.3.1 Quality assurance programmes based on international, national or other standards acceptable to the competent authority shall be established and implemented for the design, manufacture, testing, documentation, use, maintenance and inspection of all special form radioactive material, low dispersible radioactive material and packages and for transport and in-transit storage operations to ensure compliance with the relevant provisions of this Code. Certification that the design specification has been fully implemented shall be available to the competent authority. The manufacturer, consignor or user shall be prepared to provide facilities for competent authority inspection during manufacture and use and to demonstrate to any cognizant competent authority that:

  • .1 the manufacturing methods and materials used are in accordance with the approved design specifications; and

  • .2 all packagings are periodically inspected and, as necessary, repaired and maintained in good condition so that they continue to comply with all relevant requirements and specifications, even after repeated use.

 Where competent authority approval is required, such approval shall take into account and be contingent upon the adequacy of the quality assurance programme.

1.5.4 Special arrangement

  1.5.4.1 Special arrangement shall mean those provisions, approved by the competent authority, under which consignments which do not satisfy all the provisions of this Code applicable to radioactive material may be transported.

  1.5.4.2 Consignments for which conformity with any provision applicable to class 7 is impracticable shall not be transported except under special arrangement. Provided the competent authority is satisfied that conformity with the class 7 provisions of this Code is impracticable and that the requisite standards of safety established by this Code have been demonstrated through alternative means the competent authority may approve special arrangement transport operations for single or a planned series of multiple consignments. The overall level of safety in transport shall be at least equivalent to that which would be provided if all the applicable provisions had been met. For international consignments of this type, multilateral approval shall be required.

1.5.5 Radioactive material possessing other dangerous properties

  1.5.5.1 In addition to the radioactive and fissile properties, any subsidiary risk of the contents of a package, such as explosiveness, flammability, pyrophoricity, chemical toxicity and corrosiveness, shall also be taken into account in the documentation, packing, labelling, marking, placarding, stowage, segregation and transport, in order to be in compliance with all relevant provisions for dangerous goods. (See also special provision 172 and, for excepted packages, special provision 290.)

1.5.6 Non-compliance

  1.5.6.1 In the event of a non-compliance with any limit in the provisions of this Code applicable to radiation level or contamination,

  • .1 The consignor shall be informed of the non-compliance

    • (i) by the carrier if the non-compliance is identified during transport; or

    • (ii) by the consignee if the non-compliance is identified at receipt;

  • .2 The carrier, consignor or consignee, as appropriate, shall:

    • (i) take immediate steps to mitigate the consequences of the non-compliance;

    • (ii) investigate the non-compliance and its causes, circumstances and consequences;

    • (iii) take appropriate action to remedy the causes and circumstances that led to the non-compliance and to prevent a recurrence of similar circumstances that led to the non-compliance; and

    • (iv) communicate to the relevant competent authority(ies) on the causes of the non-compliance and on corrective or preventive actions taken or to be taken; and

  • .3 The communication of the non-compliance to the consignor and relevant competent authority(ies), respectively, shall be made as soon as practicable and it shall be immediate whenever an emergency exposure situation has developed or is developing.”

  Consequential amendments:

  Contents Page:

  Chapter 1.5 Insert “Chapter 1.5 General provisions concerning class 7

  • 1.5.1 Scope and application

  • 1.5.2 Radiation protection program

  • 1.5.3 Quality assurance

  • 1.5.4 Special arrangement

  • 1.5.5 Radioactive material possessing other dangerous properties

  • 1.5.6 Non-compliance”

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