49 C.F.R. Subpart M—Detailed Requirements for Radioactive Materials


Title 49 - Transportation


Title 49: Transportation
PART 176—CARRIAGE BY VESSEL

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Subpart M—Detailed Requirements for Radioactive Materials

Source:  Amdt. 176–15, 48 FR 10245, Mar. 10, 1983, unless otherwise noted.

§ 176.700   General stowage requirements.

(a) [Reserved]

(b) A package of radioactive materials which in still air has a surface temperature more than 5 °C (9 °F) above the ambient air may not be overstowed with any other cargo. If the package is stowed under deck, the hold or compartment in which it is stowed must be ventilated.

(c) For a shipment of radioactive materials requiring supplemental operational procedures, the shipper must furnish the master or person in charge of the vessel a copy of the necessary operational instructions.

(d) A person may not remain unnecessarily in a hold, or compartment, or in the immediate vicinity of any package on deck, containing radioactive materials.

(The information collection requirements in paragraph (d) were approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control numbers 2137–0534, 2137–0535 and 2137–0536)

[Amdt. 176–15, 48 FR 10245, Mar. 10, 1983, as amended by Amdt. 176–15, 48 FR 31220, July 7, 1983; Amdt. 176–23, 50 FR 41523, Oct. 11, 1985; Amdt. 176–37, 60 FR 50333, Sept. 28, 1995; 66 FR 45385, Aug. 28, 2001; 69 FR 3694, Jan. 26, 2004]

§ 176.704   Requirements relating to transport indices and criticality safety indices.

(a) The sum of the transport indices (TI's) for all packages of Class 7 (radioactive) materials on board a vessel may not exceed the limits specified in Table IIIA of this section.

(b) For freight containers containing packages and overpacks of Class 7 (radioactive) materials, the radiation level may not exceed 2 mSv per hour (200 mrem per hour) at any point on the outside surface and 0.1 mSv per hour (10 mrem per hour) at 2 m (6.6 ft) from the outside surface of the freight container.

(c) The limitations specified in Table IIIA of this section do not apply to consignments of LSA-I material.

(d) The sum of the criticality safety indices (CSI's) for all packages and overpacks of fissile Class 7 (radioactive) materials on board a vessel may not exceed the limits specified in Table IIIB of this section.

(e) Each group of fissile Class 7 (radioactive) material packages and overpacks, containing a sum of CSIs no greater than 50 for a non-exclusive use shipment, or no greater than 100 for an exclusive use shipment, must be separated from all other groups containing fissile material packages and overpacks by a distance of at least 6 m (20 ft) at all times.

(f) The limitations specified in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section do not apply when the entire vessel is reserved or chartered for use by a single offeror under exclusive use conditions if—

(1) The number of packages of fissile Class 7 (radioactive) material satisfies the individual package CSI limits of §173.457 of this subchapter, except that the total sums of CSI's in the last column of Table IIIB of this section, including table note (d) apply;

(2) A radiation protection program for the shipment has been established and approved by the competent authority of the flag state of the vessel and, when requested, by the competent authority at each port of call;

(3) Stowage arrangements have been predetermined for the whole voyage, including any consignments to be loaded at ports of call;

(4) The loading, transport and unloading are to be supervised by persons qualified in the transport of radioactive material; and

(5) The entire shipment operation is approved by the Associate Administrator in advance.

(g) Table IIIA is as follows:

       Table IIIA_TI Limits for Freight Containers and Conveyances------------------------------------------------------------------------                                       Limit on total sum of transport                                         indices in a single freight    Type of freight container or       container or aboard a conveyance             conveyance             ------------------------------------                                         Not under       Under exclusive                                       exclusive use           use------------------------------------------------------------------------I. Freight container_small.........  50...............  N/A.II. Freight container_large........  50...............  No limit.III. Vessel: \a,b\    1. Hold, compartment or defined     deck area:        i. Packages, overpacks,      50...............  No limit.         small freight containers.        ii. Large freight            200..............  No limit.         containers.    2. Total vessel:        i. Packages, overpacks,      200..............  No limit.         small freight containers.        ii. Large freight            No limit.........  No limit.         containers.------------------------------------------------------------------------Notes:\a\ For vessels, the requirements in both 1 and 2 must be fulfilled.\b\ Packages or overpacks transported in or on a vehicle which are  offered for transport in accordance with the provisions of §  173.441(b) of this subchapter may be transported by vessels provided  that they are not removed from the vehicle at any time while on board  the vessel.

(h) Table IIIB is as follows:

      Table IIIB_CSI Limits for Freight Containers and Conveyances------------------------------------------------------------------------                                      Limit on total sum of criticality                                      safety indices in a single freight    Type of freight container or       container or aboard a conveyance             conveyance             ------------------------------------                                         Not under       Under exclusive                                       exclusive use           use------------------------------------------------------------------------I. Freight container_small.........  50...............  N/A.II. Freight container_large........  50...............  100.III. Vessel: \a,b\    1. Hold, compartment or defined     deck area:        i. Packages, overpacks,      50...............  100.         small freight containers.        ii. Large freight            50...............  100.         containers.    2. Total vessel:        i. Packages, overpacks,      200 \c\..........  200 \d\.         small freight containers.        ii. Large freight            No limit \c\.....  No limit \d\.         containers.------------------------------------------------------------------------Notes:\a\ For vessels, the requirements in both 1 and 2 must be fulfilled.\b\ Packages or overpacks transported in or on a vehicle which are  offered for transport in accordance with the provisions of §  173.441(b) of this subchapter may be transported by vessels provided  that they are not removed from the vehicle at any time while on board  the vessel. In that case, the entries under the heading ``under  exclusive use'' apply.\c\ The consignment must be handled and stowed such that the total sum  of CSIs in any group does not exceed 50, and such that each group is  handled and stowed so that the groups are separated from each other by  at least 6 m (20 ft).\d\ The consignment must be handled and stowed such that the total sum  of CSIs in any group does not exceed 100, and such that each group is  handled and stowed so that the groups are separated from each other by  at least 6 m (20 ft). The intervening space between groups may be  occupied by other cargo.

[69 FR 3694, Jan. 26, 2004]

§ 176.708   Segregation distances.

(a) Table IV lists minimum separation distances between radioactive materials and spaces regularly occupied by crew members or passengers, or between radioactive materials and undeveloped photographic film. It expresses the separation distances as a function of the sum of the TIs of all packages in a single consignment, in the case of 0 or 3 feet of intervening cargo of unit density for persons, and 0, 3, or 6 feet of intervening cargo of unit density for undeveloped film. Cargo of unit density is stowed cargo with a density of 1 long ton (2240 lbs.) per 36 cubic feet. Separation distances may be interpolated from the table where appropriate.

(b) Table IV is to be used to determine the separation distance for undeveloped film.

(c) Category YELLOW-II or YELLOW-III packages or overpacks must not be transported in spaces occupied by passengers, except those exclusively reserved for couriers specially authorized to accompany such packages or overpacks.

(d) The separation distances for crew members and passengers may be determined by one of two methods:

(1) By using Table IV to determine the minimum distances between the radioactive material packages and regularly occupied spaces or living quarters; or

(2) For one or more consignments of Class 7 (radioactive) material to be loaded on board a vessel under the exclusive use conditions described in §176.704(f), by demonstration through direct measurement, made and documented by a suitably qualified person, that for the indicated exposure times the dose rate in regularly occupied spaces or living quarters is less than—

(i) For the crew: 7.0 µSv/h (0.70 mrem/h) up to 700 hours in a year, or 1.8 µSv/h (0.18 mrem/h) up to 2750 hours in a year; and

(ii) For the passengers: 1.8 µSv/h (0.18 mrem/h) up to 550 hours in a year, taking into account any relocation of cargo during the voyage.

(e) Any departure from the segregation provisions should be approved by the competent authority of the flag state of the ship and, when requested, by the competent authority at each port of call.

(f) Table IV is as follows:

                                                                                            Table IV------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                              Minimum                                    Minimum distance in feet from undeveloped film and plates                                                            distance in  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                             feet from     1 day voyage   2 day voyage   4 day voyage  10 day voyage  20 day voyage  30 day voyage  40 day voyage  50 day voyage                                                              living     -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                           accommodation        Sum of transport indexes of the packages           or regularly                                                             occupied                                                           working space                                                         ---------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                           Cargo                                                          thickn                                                          ess in                                                            feet                                                           (unit                                                          densit                                                              y)                                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                             Nil       3  Nil    3    6  Nil    3    6  Nil    3    6  Nil    3    6  Nil    3    6  Nil    3    6  Nil    3    6  Nil    3    60.1 to 0.5..............................................       5       X    6    X    X    8    X    X   11    X    X   17    4    X   25    6    X   30    7    X   35    8    X   39    9    X0.6 to 1................................................       6       X    8    X    X   11    X    X   16    4    X   25    6    X   35    8    X   42   10    X   50   12    X   55   13    X1.1 to 2................................................       9       X   11    X    X   16    4    X   22    5    X   35    8    X   50   12    X   61   14    X   70   17    X   78   19    X2.1 to 3................................................      10       X   14    X    X   19    5    X   27    6    X   42   10    X   61   14    X   74   18    X   86   20    X   96   23    X3.1 to 5................................................      13       X   17    4    X   25    6    X   35    8    X   55   13    X   78   19    X   96   23    X  110   26    X  124   29    75.1 to 10...............................................      19       4   25    6    X   35    8    X   50   12    X   78   19    X  110   26    X  135   33    8  155   37    9  175   42   1010.1 to 20..............................................      26       6   35    8    X   50   12    X   69   17    X  110   26    X  155   37    9  190   46   11  220   53   13  250   59   1420.1 to 30..............................................      32       8   43   10    X   61   14    X   85   20    X  135   32    8  190   45   11  235   56   13  270   65   16  305   72   1730.1 to 50..............................................      42      10   55   13    X   78   19    X  110   26    X  175   42   10  245   58   14  300   73   17  350   84   20  390   94   2250.1 to 100.............................................      59      14   78   19    X  110   26    X  155   37    9  245   59   14  350   82   20  430  105   24  515  118   28  550  130   32100.1 to 150............................................      72      17   96   23    X  135   32    8  190   46   11  300   72   17  425  100   24  525  125   30  600  145   35  (\7  165   39                                                                                                                                                                                   \ )150.1 to 200............................................      84      20  110   26    X  155   37    9  200   53   13  350   84   20  490  115   28  600  140   35  (\7  165   40  (\7  190   45                                                                                                                                                                    \ )            \ )================================================================================================================================================================================================200.1 to 300............................................     105      24  135   32    X  190   46   11  270   64   15  425  105   25  600  145   35  (\7  180   42  (\7  205   49  (\7  230   55                                                                                                                                                     \ )            \ )            \ )300.1 to 400............................................     120      28  160   37    9  220   53   13  310   75   18  500  120   28  (\7  165   40  (\7  205   49  (\7  235   57  (\7  265   63                                                                                                                                      \ )            \ )            \ )            \ )------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Note:(1) X_indicates that thickness of screening cargo is sufficient without any additional segregation distance.(2) By using 6 feet of intervening unit density cargo for persons and 10 feet for film and plates, no distance shielding is necessary for any length of voyage specified.(3) Using 1 steel bulkhead or steel deck_multiply segregation distance by 0.8. Using 2 steel bulkheads or steel decks_multiply segregation distance by 0.64.(4) ``Cargo of Unit Density'' means cargo stowed at a density of 1 ton (long) per 36 cubic feet; where the density is less than this the depth of cargo specified must be increased in  proportion.(5) ``Minimum distance'' means the least in any direction whether vertical or horizontal from the outer surface of the nearest package.(6) The figures below the double line of the table shall be used in those cases where the appropriate provisions of this class permit the sum of the transport indices to exceed 200.(7) Not to be carried unless screening by other cargo and bulkheads can be arranged in accordance with the other columns.

[Amdt. 176–15, 48 FR 10245, Mar. 10, 1983, as amended by Amdt. 176–37, 60 FR 50334, Sept. 28, 1995; 69 FR 3695, Jan. 26, 2004]

§ 176.710   Care following leakage or sifting of radioactive materials.

(a) In case of fire, collision, or breakage involving any shipment of radioactive materials, other than materials of low specific activity, the radioactive materials must be segregated from unnecessary contact with personnel. In case of obvious leakage, or if the inside container appears to be damaged, the stowage area (hold, compartment, or deck area) containing this cargo must be isolated as much as possible to prevent radioactive material from entering any person's body through contact, inhalation, or ingestion. No person may handle the material or remain in the vicinity unless supervised by a qualified person.

(b) A hold or compartment in which leakage of radioactive materials has occurred may not be used for other cargo until it is decontaminated in accordance with the requirements of §176.715.

(c) For reporting requirements, see §171.15 of this subchapter.

§ 176.715   Contamination control.

Each hold, compartment, or deck area used for the transportation of low specific activity or surface contaminated object Class 7 (radioactive) materials under exclusive use conditions must be surveyed with appropriate radiation detection instruments after each use. Such holds, compartments, and deck areas may not be used again until the radiation dose rate at every accessible surface is less than 5 microSieverts per hour (0.5 mrem per hour), and the removable (non-fixed) radioactive surface contamination is not greater than the limits prescribed in §173.443 of this subchapter.

[Amdt. 176–37, 60 FR 50334, Sept. 28, 1995]

§ 176.720   Requirements for carriage of INF cargo in international transportation.

In addition to all other applicable requirements of this subchapter, a vessel carrying INF cargo (see §176.2, under INF cargo definition) in international transportation must meet the requirements of the INF Code contained in the IMDG Code (IBR, see §171.7 of this subchapter).

[68 FR 75748, Dec. 31, 2003]

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