Notice

Requirements governing Approval Certificates issued by the Competent State Authority for Radioactive Material, Radioactive Material Packaging and Radioactive Material Shipments

Scope

This Notice is of particular importance to persons handling, offering for transport or transporting radioactive material.

Introduction

The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations and by reference the International Civil Aviation Organization Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (ICAO TI's) regulate the transport of radioactive material by air in Canada and between Canada and another country.

Regulations governing the transportation of Radioactive Material

The ICAO TI's establish acceptable levels for the emission of radiation, the criticality safety index of specified radioactive materials and the protection criteria from thermal hazards that are associated with the transport of radioactive material.

• Chapter 2;7 and Table 2-12 of the ICAO TI's sets out the classification criteria for radioactive material

• Chapter 4;9 specifies radioactive packaging requirements, and

• Chapter 6;7 sets the requirements for the construction, testing and approval of packages and material for class 7.
  

Approval Certificates Required from the Competent State Authority

The ICAO TI's (6;7.21) require certificates of approval issued by the applicable Competent State Authority for some Radioactive Material, Radioactive material packages and Radioactive material shipments. The shipper (consignor) must be in possession of the following certificates of approval (5;1.3.3) as applicable and must make them available to the those who handle or transport the shipment or to Inspectors upon request (5;4.1.9.3):

Radioactive material designs:

• Special form Radioactive material;
• Low dispersible Radioactive material;

Package designs:

• Packages containing 0.1 kg or more of uranium hexafluoride;
• All packages containing fissile material unless excepted;
• Type B(U) and Type B(M) packages; and
• Type C packages.

Shipments:

• Special arrangements
• Certain other shipments

Certified Packages must be legibly and durably marked with an identification mark allocated to that design by the Competent Authority of the State. This mark includes the Vehicle Registration Identification (VRI) Code of the country of origin of the design as published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Transport Division which can be consulted at the following website: http://www.unece.org/trans/Welcome.html

Each approval certificate issued by a competent authority is assigned an identification mark. Marking found on the packaging will be recorded in the text of the certificate. A sample of such mark is as follows:

A/132/B(M)F-96, where

• A VRI code for Austria 
• 132 Number assigned to the package design
• B(M)F Type B(M)F package design for fissile material
• 96 Date of the IAEA Edition certification criteria
  

Note : Please note that the ellipse around the VRI code, and the size of the marking (8 cm) are not applicable.

A Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) issued certificate of approval is required in most cases before a Radioactive material package requiring approval can be transported in Canada (see also Attachment 3 - Notified Variations from the ICAO TI's; Canadian State Variations CA 1, CA 2, CA 3 and CA 4.).

Approval Certificates Not Required from the Competent State Authority

Excepted packages, Industrial packages Type IP-1, Type IP-2 and Type IP-3 and Type A packages that meet requirements are legibly and durably marked in accordance with 5;2.4.5 may be used without a Competent Authority approval certificate.

Grand fathering Clause

Packages certified under the 1973, 1973 (as amended), 1985 and 1985 (as amended 1990) (6;7.23.2) may continue to be used, but in most cases must have an approval certificate issued by the CNSC. These packages will be marked with an original certificate identification number such as: A/132/B(M)-85, or A/132/B(M).

Packages not requiring Competent Authority certification that are in conformance to the 1985 and 1985 (as amended 1990) may continue to be used until December 31, 2003, subject to the applicable provisions (ICAO TI's 6;7.23.1). After this date, transport is restricted to only those packages prepared for transport before this date.

For additional information please call:

• Atlantic : (506) 851-7247
• Prairie and Northern : (780) 495-5278
• Quebec : (514) 633-6838
• Pacific : (604) 666-5655
• Ontario : (416) 952-0000
• Airline Inspection : (514) 633-3116