The Packaging, Labelling and Carriage of Radioactive Material by Rail Regulations 1996

Contamination level limits

23.—(1) Subject to paragraph (6), no person shall consign any package or overpack where the level of non-fixed contamination on the external surfaces thereof (in the case of overpacks the external and the internal surfaces thereof) exceeds the limits specified in Table III of paragraph 19 of the Approved Document.

(2) The operator of any freight container, tank container, tank wagon or wagon which is being used for the carriage of any package shall ensure that the level of non-fixed contamination on the external surfaces of that package is kept as low as practicable and, under routine carriage conditions, does not exceed the limits specified in Table III of paragraph 19 of the Approved Document.

(3) Subject to paragraph (6), the operator of any freight container, tank container, tank wagon or wagon which is being used for the carriage of radioactive material shall ensure that the level of non-fixed contamination on the external and internal surfaces of the freight container, tank container, tank wagon or wagon concerned does not exceed the levels specified in Table III of paragraph 19 of the Approved Document.

(4) The operator of any freight container, tank container, tank wagon or wagon which is used routinely for the carriage of radioactive material shall ensure that the external and internal surfaces of the freight container, tank container, tank wagon or wagon concerned are periodically checked to determine the level of contamination.

(5) The frequency of the periodic checking referred to in paragraph (4) shall be related to the likelihood of contamination and the extent to which radioactive material is carried.

(6) Subject to paragraph (7), the operator of any freight container, tank container, tank wagon or wagon, the surfaces of which have become contaminated above the limits specified in Table III of paragraph 19 of the Approved Document or which show a level in excess of 5μ Sv/h during carriage, shall ensure that the freight container, tank container, tank wagon or wagon concerned—

(a) is decontaminated as soon as possible by a qualified person; and

(b) is not re-used unless—

(i) the level of non-fixed contamination does not exceed the limits specified in Table III of paragraph 19 of the Approved Document, and

(ii) the level of fixed contamination on surfaces after decontamination is less than 5μ Sv/h.

(7) Paragraphs (1), (3) and (6) shall not apply in relation to the internal surfaces of any overpack, freight container, tank container, tank wagon or wagon dedicated to the carriage of LSA material or SCO under exclusive use for so long as the overpack, freight container, tank container, tank wagon or wagon concerned remains under that specific exclusive use.