Re: RAM Shipping Container Sources?

[LIPTONW@detroitedison.com]

The type of packaging needed depends on the radionuclide quantities and the 
dose rates.  "Type B" packages, for larger quantities, require NRC approval.
 
"Type A" packages are regulated by the Department of Transportation.  There
is 
no approval process for Type A packages.  Rather, the shipper is required to 
assure that the package meets the regulatory performance specifications and
to 
maintain documentation of the tests which prove this.  Also, it is important 
to understand that the "package" includes both the packaging and the
contents. 
 Thus, a package which meets Type A specifications for one type of contents, 
eg., a sealed source, may not for another type of contents, eg., liquid.  It 
is the shipper's, NOT the vendor's, responsibility to assure that the
contents 
are suitable for the packaging and are packed in accordance with the
vendor's 
instructions, eg., the material may have to be sealed in a plastic bag, and 
cushioning material may be required.   
 
Some vendor's who may have what you need (no endorsement implied) are:  (1) 
Container Products Corp., 919-392-6778, (2) Hazmatpac, 800-923-9123. 
Whomever 
you use, you must obtain the test documentation (A letter saying that the 
package meets DOT requirements is NOT good enough.).  You must also make
sure 
that the tests performed are valid for what you are shipping; e.g., if the 
package was tested with 1 pound of feathers, it is not suitable for 100
pounds 
of lead shot.   
 
The opinions expressed are strictly mine. 
It's not about dose, it's about trust. 
 
Bill Lipton 
liptonw@detroitedison.com 
 
 
You wrote: 
 
Howdy, 
 
I'm asking on behalf of a colleague at another institution who is  
having a radioactive target fabricated for an accelerator system. 
The company fabricating the target has advised him that he  
must supply his own DOT approved shipping container.  They  
described it as basically a six-inch long, three-inch diameter  
pipe which has been DOT approved.  I would appreciate any  
leads for vendors of such devices. 
 
Thanks, 
 
Tracy Tipping