Re: Shipping tritium signs

[Mark Steinbuchel <markst@ONC.hhsys.org>]

Bill of FAA - YES they should be double wrapped with the 
inner box marked per 40 CFR but read the exception 
section on Tritium markers so you do not have to label 
the outer package for this specific tritium containing 
commercial product.  As a hospital that has over 800 
tritium exit signs and a former Boeing Company Huntsville 
RSO/Manager of Safety and Industrial Hygiene, I have and do 
continue to deal with a manufacturers and vendors of these 
tritium exit markers.  We are not to use RADSAFE to 
advertise but since you are FAA and are "Here to help" whom 
ever you are writing about that wants to ship his 
250 airplane exit markers, I will share that we buy 
replacements from Isolite, Corp of 31 Waterloo Ave Berwin, 
PA 19312 and upon receipt of new replacements are allowed 
to return the same number and type of expired or damaged 
units for "free -HA" for them to lawfully dispose of, we 
carefully put the expired 13 year old inserts we take 
down from our hospital into the same double wrapping 
packaging - inner and outer sealed box - that Isolite uses 
to allow them to ship these 10 curie (yes, full curie, not 
milli-)signs to users - this is in compliance with DOT's 40 
CFR regulations so neither they nor I go to jail. (The only 
advantage to doing such white collar crime in Leavenworth, 
KS is that I hear they take a busload of trustees over to 
Kansas City for the Royals and Chiefs games - when they are 
not playing tennis or otherwise wasting our tax dollars on 
their fed inmates) I suggest you call my point of contact, 
Bob Kissinger at 1- (800) 888-5483 for further information. 
Another info source is another vendor Fred Straccia, CHP at 
800-525-8339 who teaches courses on this/other RSO topics.
Tritium signs are found on planes, ships, in hospitals, 
prisons and are a safe, non-electrical way to identify 
exits and meet NFPA and building codes, we love 'em for 
their 13 year life of no utilities, but they are very 
pricey initially and to replace in quantity. Questions?
Mark Steinbuchel, CHCM
Radiation Safety Coordinator
Huntsville Hospital System
Huntsville Alabama 35801-4470
(205)551-6590 or fax 6555
markst@ONC.hhsys.org 
On Thu, 23 Oct 1997 20:57:05 -0500 (CDT) William Kolb 
<William.Kolb@faa.dot.gov> wrote: 
>  A local institution needs to dispose of 250 tritium EXIT signs they've
> collected from their facilities.  Are there any special shipping requirements/
> precautions for return to the manufacturer?
> 
> bill
> william.kolb@faa.dot.gov

----------------------
Mark Steinbuchel
markst@ONC.hhsys.org