Managing the Interface between Safety and Security for Normal Commercial Shipments of Radioactive Material

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• Publisher: International Atomic Energy Agency
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9789201063212
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Mechanical Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Regulations governing the safe transport of radioactive material have been developed and maintained at the international and national levels for more than six decades. More recently, similar efforts have been initiated for security during the transport of radioactive material; however, safety and security provisions have typically been developed independently. The aim of this publication is to provide technical guidelines and practical information to assist Member States, competent authorities and operators in ensuring an integrated and coordination approach. Based on international good practices, its use will facilitate the management of the interface between nuclear safety and security during normal commercial shipments of radioactive material that pose a low radiological consequence if attacked by an adversary.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background

Nuclear safety and nuclear security share the same goal, which is to protect people and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation. However, the activities that address nuclear safety and nuclear security may be different, and sometimes actions taken to strengthen nuclear safety may affect nuclear security, either positively or negatively, and vice versa. It is therefore essential to establish a well coordinated approach to managing the interface between nuclear safety and nuclear security of radioactive material in transport so that relevant measures are implemented in a manner that does not compromise or negatively impact either nuclear safety or nuclear security. This can be accomplished with the aim to capitalize on improving mutual awareness and understanding of the transport interface while providing opportunities for mutual enhancement of both transport safety and transport security.

The IAEA first published safety requirements for the transport of radioactive material (known as the Transport Regulations) in 1961; the current edition is SSR-6 (Rev. 1), Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, published in 2018 [1]. SSR-6 (Rev. 1) sets forth for the international community a set of measures for the safe transport of radioactive material, including nuclear material, which are incorporated into the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods: Model Regulations (henceforth UN Model Regulations) [2]. Both SSR-6 (Rev. 1) and the UN Model Regulations are recommendations, not requirements. However, these recommendations are incorporated into international and regional modal dangerous goods transport regulations and recommendations and generally are also incorporated into Member States’ transport safety regulations.

More specifically, the following international and regional modal regulations incorporate the provisions of the Transport Regulations in a relatively timely fashion following the publication of each edition of the regulations:

(a) The Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, maintained by the International Civil Aviation Organization;

(b) The International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, maintained by the International Maritime Organization;

(c) The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road, maintained by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Committee on Inland Transport;

(d) The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland Waterways, also maintained by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Committee on Inland Transport;

(e) The Regulations concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail, maintained by the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail;

(f) The Agreement for the Facilitation of Dangerous Goods Transportation in Latin America, maintained by the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR).

These modal regulations also adopt the transport security recommendations that are contained in the UN Model Regulations [2].

IAEA Nuclear Security publications that focus solely on radioactive material other than nuclear material transport security include the following:

(a) A Recommendations publication, IAEA Nuclear Security Series No. 14, Nuclear Security Recommendations on Radioactive Material and Associated Facilities [3];

(b) An Implementing Guide, IAEA Nuclear Security Series No. 9-G (Rev. 1), Security of Radioactive Material in Transport [4].

IAEA Nuclear Security publications that focus solely on nuclear material transport security include the following:

(a) A Recommendations publication, IAEA Nuclear Security Series No. 13, Nuclear Security Recommendations on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities (INFCIRC/225/Revision 5) [5];

(b) An Implementing Guide, IAEA Nuclear Security Series No. 26-G, Security of Nuclear Material in Transport [6].

In addition to the above cited safety and security publications, the application of SSR-6 (Rev. 1) [1] is supported through Safety Guides [7–9].

Some elements of these Recommendations publications and Implementing Guides (e.g. transport security thresholds) have been incorporated into the UN Model Regulations [2]. However, the security provisions of the UN Model Regulations remain recommendations as they are adapted into the modal regulations such as the International Civil Aviation Organizati...

Table of contents

• 1. INTRODUCTION
• REFERENCES
• DEFINITIONS
• CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW