Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material

The transport of radioactive material is an essential activity worldwide. Both safety and security during transport are matters of national and international importance. This publication is the latest edition of the IAEA Safety Requirements for the safe transport of radioactive material. It is supported by six IAEA Safety Guides which provide explanation and guidance for the SSR-6 requirements to facilitate harmonized implementation. The SSR-6 Regulations apply to the transport of radioactive material by all modes on land, water, or in the air, including transport that 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, carriage including in-transit storage, unloading and receipt at the final destination of loads of radioactive material and packages. These requirements form an integral part of regulations worldwide, therefore SSR-6 and its associated guidance documents are a requisite source of guidance information for governments, regulators, and all individuals involved in the aforementioned activities of transport of radioactive material.

These requirements are adopted into the UN Model Regulations which are subsequently adopted by the IMDG Code by the International Maritime Organisation for shipment by sea and by the International Civil Aviation Organization Technical Instructions for shipment by air. Both the IMDG Code and the ICAO Technical Instructions are globally implemented and mandatory. Land transport is the responsibility of the national government of each Member State, and the SSR-6 requirements are adopted for national transport safety regulations for shipments on land.