ASN Report 2015

Inspections in the field are carried out by land transport

inspectors attached to the DREALs (Regional Directorates

for the Environment, Planning and Housing).

For regulation to be as consistent as possible, ASN

collaborates regularly with the administrations

responsible for applying the regulations in their particular

sector of activity. For example, in 2015 ASN took part

in the training of DGAC (General Directorate for Civil

Aviation) inspectors responsible for monitoring the air

transport of hazardous goods in order to teach themabout

the specific aspects of class 7 and present experience

feedback from ASN’s inspections on these subjects.

The breakdown of the various regulatory missions is

summarised in table 2.

3. THE DRAFTING

OF INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN

REGULATIONS RELATIVE TO

THE TRANSPORT OF RADIOACTIVE

SUBSTANCES

The international nature of radioactive substance

transport has given rise to regulations, drafted under

the supervision of IAEA (International Atomic Energy

Agency), that ensure a high level of safety.

3.1 The different types of package

The degree of safety of the packages of radioactive

substances is adapted to the potential danger of the

material transported. There are five main package types:

excepted packages, industrial packages, type A packages,

type B packages and type C packages. These package

types are determined according to the characteristics

of the material transported, such as total radiological

activity, specific activity, corresponding to the degree of

concentration of the material, its physicochemical form

or the possible presence of fissile radioactive substances,

which could lead to a nuclear chain reaction.

3.1.1 Excepted packages

Excepted packages are used to transport very small

quantities of radioactive substances, such as very low

activity radiopharmaceuticals. These packages are not

subject to any qualification tests. They must nevertheless

comply with a number of general specifications, notably

with regard to radiation protection, to guarantee that

the radiation around the excepted packages remains

very low.

3.1.2 Non-fissile industrial or type A packages

Industrial packages are used to transport material with

low-level activity. Uranium-containingmaterials extracted

from foreign uraniummines are, for example, transported

in France in industrial drums with a capacity of 200 litres

loaded into 20-foot containers or conventional rail

wagons.

Type A packages can, for example, be used to transport

radioisotopes for medical purposes commonly used

in nuclear medicine departments, such as technetium

generators.

3.1.3 Fissile and type B packages

Type B packages are used to transport quantities of the

most radioactive substances such as spent fuels, vitrified

high level, long-lived nuclear waste, or fresh fuels. Given

the level of risk associated with these packages, they

are subject to approval delivered by ASN based on

the examination of a safety file. These packages are

essentially for the nuclear industry and for industrial

technical inspections, including industrial radiology.

Type A packages and industrial packages containing

fissile radioactive substances are also subject to ASN

approval.

3.1.4 Type C packages

Type C packages are designed for the transport of highly

radioactive substances by air. In France there is no

approval for type C packages for civil uses.

TABLE 3:

Breakdown of transported packages by type

TYPE OF PACKAGE

APPROXIMATE SHARE

OF PACKAGES TRANSPORTED

ANNUALLY

Packages

approved by ASN

Type B packages

Other packages approved by ASN

Packages

not requiring

approval by ASN

Type A packages not containing fissile

radioactive substances

31%

Industrial packages not containing fissile

radioactive substances

Excepted packages

58%

353

CHAPTER 11:

TRANSPORT OF RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES

ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015