Subpart E: Package Approval Standards
Sec. 71.41 Demonstration of compliance.
(a) The effects on a package of the tests specified in Section 71.71 ("Normal conditions of transport"), and the tests specified in Section 71.73 ("Hypothetical accident conditions"), and Section 71.61 (Special requirement for irradiated nuclear fuel shipments"), must be evaluated by subjecting a specimen or scale model to a specific test, or by another method of demonstration acceptable to the Commission, as appropriate for the particular feature being considered.
(b) Taking into account the type of vehicle, the method of securing or attaching the package, and the controls to be exercised by the shipper, the Commission may permit the shipment to be evaluated together with the transporting vehicle.
(c) Environmental and test conditions different from those specified in Sections 71.71 and 71.73 may be approved by the Commission if the controls proposed to be exercised by the shipper are demonstrated to be adequate to provide equivalent safety of the shipment.
Sec. 71.43 General standards for all packages.
(a) The smallest overall dimension of a package may not
be less than 10 cm (4 in).
(b) The outside of a package must incorporate a feature,
such as a seal, that is not readily breakable and that,
while intact, would be evidence that the package has not
been opened by unauthorized persons.
(c) Each package must include a containment system
securely closed by a positive fastening device that cannot
be opened unintentionally or by a pressure that may
arise within the package.
(d) A package must be made of materials and
construction that assure that there will be no significant
chemical, galvanic, or other reaction among the
packaging components, among package contents, or
between the packaging components and the package
contents, including possible reaction resulting from
inleakage of water, to the maximum credible extent.
Account must be taken of the behavior of materials
under irradiation.
(e) A package valve or other device, the failure of which
would allow radioactive contents to escape, must be
protected against unauthorized operation and, except for
a pressure relief device, must be provided with an
enclosure to retain any leakage.
(f) A package must be designed, constructed, and
prepared for shipment so that under the tests specified
in Section 71.71 ("Normal conditions of transport") there
would be no loss or dispersal of radioactive contents, no
significant increase in external surface radiation levels,
and no substantial reduction in the effectiveness of the
packaging.
(g) A package must be designed, constructed, and
prepared for transport so that in still air at 38 C (100 F)
and in the shade, no accessible surface of a package
would have a temperature exceeding 50 C (122 F) in a
nonexclusive use shipment, or 85 C (185 F) in an
exclusive use shipment.
(h) A package may not incorporate a feature intended to
allow continuous venting during transport.
Sec. 71.45 Lifting and tiedown standards for all
packages.
(a) Any lifting attachment that is a structural part of a
package must be designed with a minimum safety factor
of three against yielding when used to lift the package in
the intended manner, and it must be designed so that
failure of any lifting device under excessive load would
not impair the ability of the package to meet other
requirements of this subpart. Any other structural part
of the package that could be used to lift the package
must be capable of being rendered inoperable for lifting
the package during transport, or must be designed with
strength equivalent to that required for lifting
attachments.
(b) Tiedown devices:
(1) If there is a system of tiedown devices that is a
structural part of the package, the system must be
capable of withstanding, without generating stress in
any material of the package in excess of its yield
strength, a static force applied to the center of gravity of
the package having a vertical component of 2 times the
weight of the package with its contents, a horizontal
component along the direction in which the vehicle
travels of 10 times the weight of the package with its
contents, and a horizontal component in the transverse
direction of 5 times the weight of the package with its
contents.
(2) Any other structural part of the package that could
be used to tie down the package must be capable of being
rendered inoperable for tying down the package during
transport, or must be designed with strength equivalent
to that required for tiedown devices.
(3) Each tiedown device that is a structural part of a
package must be designed so that failure of the device
under excessive load would not impair the ability of the
package to meet other requirements of this part.
Sec. 71.47 External radiation standards for all packages.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section,
each package of radioactive materials offered for
transportation must be designed and prepared for
shipment so that under conditions normally incident to
transportation the radiation level does not exceed 2
mSv/h (200 mrem/h) at any point on the external surface
of the package, and the transport index does not exceed
10.
(b) A package that exceeds the radiation level limits
specified in paragraph (a) of this section must be
transported by exclusive use shipment only, and the
radiation levels for such shipment must not exceed the
following during transportation:
(1) 2 mSv/h (200 mrem/h) on the external surface of the
package, unless the following conditions are met, in
which case the limit is 10 mSv/h (1000 mrem/ h):
(i) The shipment is made in a closed transport vehicle;
(ii) The package is secured within the vehicle so that its
position remains fixed during transportation; and
(iii) There are no loading or unloading operations
between the beginning and end of the transportation;
(2) 2 mSv/h (200 mrem/h) at any point on the outer
surface of the vehicle, including the top and underside of
the vehicle; or in the case of a flatbed style vehicle, at
any point on the vertical planes projected from the outer
edges of the vehicle, on the upper surface of the load or
enclosure, if used, and on the lower external surface of
the vehicle; and
(3) 0.1 mSv/h (10 mrem/h) at any point 2 meters (80 in)
from the outer lateral surfaces of the vehicle (excluding
the top and underside of the vehicle); or in the case of a
flatbed style vehicle, at any point 2 meters (6.6 feet)
from the vertical planes projected by the outer edges of
the vehicle (excluding the top and underside of the
vehicle); and
(4) 0.02 mSv/h (2 mrem/h) in any normally occupied
space, except that this provision does not apply to
private carriers, if exposed personnel under their control
wear radiation dosimetry devices in conformance with 10
CFR 20.1502.
(c) For shipments made under the provisions of
paragraph (b) of this section, the shipper shall provide
specific written instructions to the carrier for
maintenance of the exclusive use shipment controls. The
instructions must be included with the shipping paper
information.
(d) The written instructions required for exclusive use
shipments must be sufficient so that, when followed,
they will cause the carrier to avoid actions that will
unnecessarily delay delivery or unnecessarily result in
increased radiation levels or radiation exposures to
transport workers or members of the general public.
Sec. 71.51 Additional requirements for Type B packages.
(a) Except as provided in Section 71.52, a Type B
package, in addition to satisfying the requirements of
Sections 71.41 through 71.47, must be designed,
constructed, and prepared for shipment so that under
the tests specified in:
(1) Section 71.71 ("Normal conditions of transport"),
there would be no loss or dispersal of radioactive
contents, as demonstrated to a sensitivity of 10 -6 A2 per
hour, no significant increase in external surface
radiation levels, and no substantial reduction in the
effectiveness of the packaging; and
(2) Section 71.73 ("Hypothetical accident conditions"),
there would be no escape of krypton85 exceeding 10 A2
in 1 week, no escape of other radioactive material
exceeding a total amount A2 in 1 week, and no external
radiation dose rate exceeding 10 mSv/h (1 rem/h) at 1 m
(40 in) from the external surface of the package.
(b) Where mixtures of different radionuclides are
present, the provisions of appendix A, paragraph IV of
this part shall apply, except that for Krypton85, an
effective A2 value equal to 10 A2 may be used.
(c) Compliance with the permitted activity release limits
of paragraph (a) of this section may not depend on filters
or on a mechanical cooling system.
Sec. 71.52 Exemption for lowspecificactivity (LSA)
packages.
A package need not satisfy the requirements of Section
71.51 if it contains only LSA or SCO material, and is
transported as exclusive use, but is subject to Sections
71.41 through 71.47, including Section 71.43(f). This
section expires April 1, 1999.
EFFECTIVE DATE NOTE: At 60 FR 50264, Sept. 28,
1995, Section 71.52 expires April 1, 1999.
Sec. 71.53 Fissile material exemptions.
The following packages are exempt from fissile material
classification and from the fissile material standards of
Section 71.55 and Section 71.59, but are subject to all
other requirements of this part:
(a) A package containing not more than 15 g of fissile
material. If material is transported in bulk, the quantity
limitation applies to the conveyance;
(b) A package containing homogeneous hydrogenous
solutions or mixtures where:
(1) The minimum ratio of the number of hydrogen atoms
to the number of atoms of fissile radionuclides (H/X) is
5200;
(2) The maximum concentration of fissile radionuclides is
5 g/liter; and
(3) The maximum mass of fissile radionuclides in the
package is 800 g, with an exception for a mixture where
the total mass of plutonium and uranium-233 exceeds 1
percent of the mass of uranium-235, the limit is 500 g. If
the material is transported in bulk, other than by
aircraft, the quantity limitations apply to the
conveyance;
(c) A package containing uranium enriched in
uranium-235 to a maximum of 1 percent by weight, and
with a total plutonium and uranium-233 content of up to
1 percent of the mass of uranium-235, if the fissile
radionuclides are distributed homogeneously throughout
the package contents and do not form a lattice
arrangement within the package;
(d) A package containing any fissile material if it does
not contain more than 5 g of fissile radionuclides in any
10 liter volume, and if the material is packaged so as to
maintain this limit of fissile radionuclide concentration
during normal transport;
(e) A package containing not more than 1 kg of
plutonium of which not more than 20 percent by mass
may consist of plutonium239, plutonium241, or any
combination of those radionuclides; or
(f) A package containing liquid solutions of uranyl
nitrate enriched in uranium-235 to a maximum of 2
percent by weight, with total plutonium and
uranium-233 not more than 0.1 percent of the mass of
uranium-235 and with a minimum nitrogen-to-uranium
atomic ratio (N/U) of 2.