Sea World in Orlando

Transportation and Packaging of Radioactive Materials

This course is designed for radiation safety officers, safety officers, technicians, managers and others who may be involved in transportation of radioactive materials or in preparing radioactive materials for transport. This course will cover the applicable 49 CFR DOT and 10 CFR NRC transportation of radioactive materials regulations. The course will cover DOT 49 CFR Parts 170 - 189 with emphasis on Parts 172 - 178 and 10 CFR 71. These regulations cover hazardous material classification, hazardous waste, labeling, types of packaging and containers, packaging and container limits, radiation level standards, and reporting and record keeping requirements. Fissile and Type B materials are not covered in detail.

The course will also cover 10 CFR 61 (NRC Land Disposal of Radioactive Material) and related requirements from 10 CFR 19, 20 and 40. The course includes package and shipping document preparation exercises.

Upon passing a required examination, students are provided a certificate showing they successfully completed the course. This certificate, along with the training manual, may be used to document the training for employer certification, as required by 49 CFR 172.704(d). It is important to note that the requirements for documentation of training are very specific and detailed. The exact details of those requirements can be found at this link.

The instructor for this course will be Charles Scott, a Certified Health Physicist who has had substantial experience in shipping radioactive material, as well handling radioactive waste.

We have recently added to the course a section on regulations related to air transportation of radioactive dangerous goods. The training will be based on the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR).

Nevada Technical Associates, Inc.

Phone 702-564-2798
P.O. Box 93355, Las Vegas, NV 89193

Orlando, Florida (Course Fee $850)

September 27 - 29, 2010 -- Registration not yet open

There is no deadline for course registrations but we suggest that you register at least 30 days in advance in order to get the best rates on travel and hotel rooms.

The instructor will also discuss recent revisions in the regulations.

The instructor for this course is Charles Scott, a Certified Health Physicist with substantial experience with transportation rules and regulations.

This course is also offered in Las Vegas, Nevada. See Las Vegas information.

Registration - You may register by any of several methods. The preferred method is online registration which you can do by clicking on the link beside the course date. You may also call us to register.

C.E.U. Credits - This course on the Transportation of Radioactive Materials has been approved for 16 Continuing Education Credits by the American Academy of Health Physics.

Orlando - The Holiday Inn Express - Lake Bueno Vista will be the location for the Orlando course. The hotel has agreed to offer a special rate for sleeping rooms for attendees. The rate is $92 per night plus tax. This rate is subject to availability and may not be available for reservations made less than two weeks prior to the course or through a travel agency. When asking for reservations mention that you will be attending the course sponsored by Nevada Technical Associates, Inc. The hotel is adjacent to Disney World. More information can be found at this link: Holiday Inn Express

Background Information

Roles of NRC and DOT

The transportation of radioactive materials is regulated jointly by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Department of Transportation (DOT). The responsibilities of the two agencies are generally divided as follows:

* DOT - Regulates shippers and carriers of hazardous materials, including radioactive material. It is responsible for such items as vehicle safety, routing, shipping papers, and emergency response information and shipper/carrier training requirements.

* NRC - Regulates users of radioactive material in 17 states (33 states regulate material within their borders) and approves the design, fabrication, use and maintenance of shipping containers for more hazardous radioactive material shipments. It also regulates the physical protection of commercial spent fuel in transit against sabotage or other malicious acts.

Transportation of Radioactive Materials

The NRC requires radioactive materials to be shipped in accordance with the hazardous materials transportation safety regulations of DOT. Millions of “packages” of radioactive material are shipped throughout the United States annually by rail, air, sea, and over roads. They contain small quantities of radioactive material that are typically used in industry and medicine.

These packages are intended to provide a safe and economical means of transporting relatively small quantities of radioactive material. It is assumed that these packages could be damaged in an accident and that a portion of the contents could be released. The DOT regulations, therefore, prescribe limits on the maximum amounts of radioactivity that can be transported in these packages, such that doses from any accidents involving these packages will have no substantial health risks. Examples could include transport of smoke detectors, watch dials, radiopharmaceuticals, and slightly contaminated equipment such as syringes used to administer radiopharmaceuticals.