Re: DoT rules (49CFR)

[Steve Frey <sfreyohp@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>]

Dear Radsafers -

Dr. Weiner is correct. Radioactive material of Type A quantities 
that is to be shipped by air gets categorized by the courier as 
'Inaccessible Dangerous Goods' (IDGs). IDGs acquire this 
designation because they are consiodered not likely to pose 
an immediate threat to the integrity of the aircraft or to the 
health of the pilots if released during flight. Hence, IDGs get 
stowed away from the pilots. The distance helps minimize 
their exposure to any radiation from the packages, and 
makes room in the closest portion of the cargo bay to the 
cockpit for 'Accessible Dangerous Goods' (ADGs). ADGs 
are materials which, if released, may cause immediate 
structural/control system failures of the aircraft via 
flammability/corrosively/reactivity, or loss of crew consciousness 
via toxicity. The close proximity to the cockpit is deliberate; 
it is intended to give the crew quick and ready access to any 
escaped ADGs to help get them under control before serious 
damage or crew incapacitation can result.

Steve
*****************************************************
Steve Frey, Head
Operational Health Physics (OHP) Department
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC)
Phone:(650) 926-3839 (office),
      (650) 926-3030 (fax),
E-mail address: sfreyohp@SLAC.Stanford.EDU
Any thoughts expressed here are not meant 
to speak for SLAC or any other party in any 
capacity unless so stated.
*******************************************************
  
be loaded get stored By comparison, 'Accessi
At 08:50 PM 3/15/00 -0600, you wrote:
>If this is just a remnant of the days when RAM was treated as particularly
>>strange then why has it persisted in the rules?
>
>I suspect it persists largely because, like every other agency, DOT
>hesitates to make a rule appear less stringent - and it is a "remnant."  A
>truly dumb result of this sort of thinking is that FedEx doesn't want to put
>radioactive material with the other HAZMAT directly behind the pilots in the
>FedEx planes, so the RAM is randomly distributed throughout the other cargo.
>
>Ruth F. Weiner, Ph. D.
>7336 Lew Wallace NE
>Albuquerque, NM
>505-856-5011
>fax 505-856-5564
>ruth_weiner@msn.com
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Lester Slaback <Lester.Slaback@NIST.GOV>
>To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
>Date: Wednesday, March 15, 2000 2:29 PM
>Subject: DoT rules (49CFR)
>
>
>>As I read thru IAEA ST-1 question a arise as to why certain requirements
>>exist.  The question for today is:
>>Why do Class 7 (radioactive) hazardous materials have to be segregated from
>>other dangerous goods?  If there is an issue with one particular type of
>>dangerous material (for instance, explosives), why not just identify that?
>>If this is just a remnant of the days when RAM was treated as particularly
>>strange then why has it persisted in the rules?
>>
>>Note that there is a separate segregation requirement regarding film, but
>>this is not a dangerous goods issue.
>>
>>On another note, with the ST-1 definition of what is Radioactive Material
>>(i.e., material requiring transportation regulation) many folks might find
>>that their shipments of radwaste will be exempt from DoT rules.  That is,
>>it is not hazardous material for shipping purposes but must be disposed as
>>hazardous material.  But of course this will only happen if DoT gets
>>comments endorsing ST-1.
>>
>>Disclaimer:  the above are the personal musings of the author, and do not
>>represent any past, present, or future position of NIST, the U.S.
>government,
>>or anyone else who might think that they are in a position of authority.
>>Lester Slaback, Jr.  [Lester.Slaback@NIST.GOV]
>>NBSR Health Physics
>>Center for Neutron Research
>>NIST
>>100 Bureau Dr.  STOP 3543
>>Gaithersburg, MD  20899-3543
>>301 975-5810 voice
>>301 921-9847 fax
>>************************************************************************
>>The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
>>information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html
>
>
>
>************************************************************************
>The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
>information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html

******************************************************
Steve Frey, Head
Operational Health Physics (OHP) Department
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC)
Phone:(650) 926-3839 (office),
      (650) 926-3030 (fax),
E-mail address: sfreyohp@SLAC.Stanford.EDU
Any thoughts expressed here are not meant 
to speak for SLAC or any other party in any 
capacity unless so stated.
*******************************************************
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html