Re: transportation event

[John Jacobus <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>]

If you want to see a typical Type A package in which

nuclear medicine material is shipped, see Figure 11E

on page 34 of the pdr document located at

http://hazmat.dot.gov/pubtrain/ramreview.pdf 

On the previous page it says the contents can be up to

270 mCi.  They are easy to open by just pulling on the

handle.



Typical nuclear medicine syringe shields look like

these

http://www.harpellassociates.com/b/b-syringe-pigs.asp 

At least they screw together.



--- William V Lipton <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM> wrote:

> You bring up an interesting question.  The specified

> drop test height for a

> Type A package weighing less than 11,000 pounds is 4

> feet (49 CFR 173.465), so

> the package should have easily survived the drop. 

> It's not completely clear

> from the incident description, but it seems that the

> package failed BEFORE the

> syringe was run over. ( The incident describes the

> syringe being run over, not

> the package.  Also, if the intact package had been

> run over, it's unlikely the

> syringe would have been lost.)

> 

> The incident description also describes the Tc-99m

> syringe as being in a lead

> pig.  The question:  Is an ammo box qualified as a

> Type A package when it

> contains a lead pig?  i.e. were the tests performed

> with a comparable pig in

> the box?  I would guess not.  My experience is that

> there seems to be a

> widespread misuse of  "Type A" packaging, based on

> the misconception that, if

> the packaging is qualified as Type A, you can use it

> for anything.

> 

> I'm sure there are some Radsafers who use this

> packaging.  Please look at your

> test results.  What did the packaging contain when

> the package (package =

> packaging + contents) was tested?  My guess:  sand.

> 

. . .



=====

+++++++++++++++++++

"Eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty and . . . you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing."

Andrew Jackson



-- John

John Jacobus, MS

Certified Health Physicist

e-mail:  crispy_bird@yahoo.com



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