International Maritime Dangerous Goods
Code
Since 1965, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has
published a major international instrument known as the
International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code). This Code
is for the carriage of dangerous goods of any kind by sea. It
addresses matters such as packing and container stowage, with
particular reference to the segregation of incompatible substances.
The IMO provisions for radioactive material are based on the IAEA
Regulations. The IMDG Code offers guidance to those involved in the
handling and transport of radioactive materials during sea
transport.
International Code for the Safe Carriage of
Packaged Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High-Level
Radioactive Waste on Board Ships
In 1993, the IMO also established the Code for the Safe Carriage
of Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High-Level Radioactive
Wastes in Flasks on Board Ships (INF Code) to complement the IAEA
Regulations. Although the package design remains the primary safety
measure, this Code introduces recommendations for the design of
vessels transporting radioactive material. These complementary
provisions address such issues as stability after damage, fire
protection, and structural resistance. In January 2001, the INF
Code was made mandatory and renamed the International Code for the
Safe Carriage of Packaged Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and
High-Level Radioactive Waste on Board Ships.
The INF Code defines classes of vessels based on the aggregate
level of radioactivity that a ship is permitted to transport.
Classes of INF Ship
Note (1) TBQ = Tera-becquerels is the S1 unit of
disintegration of a radioactive nuclei per second e.g. 9 x
1012 Bq can be expressed as 9 TBq
| Class of ship |
Criteria |
|
Class INF 1 ship
|
Ships which are certified to carry materials with an aggregate
radioactivity less than 4,000 TBq (1).
|
|
Class INF 2 ship
|
Ships which are certified to carry irradiated nuclear fuel or
high-level radioactive wastes with an aggregate radioactivity less
than 2 x 106 TBq and ships which are certified to carry
plutonium with an aggregate radioactivity less than 2 x
105 TBq.
|
|
Class INF 3 ship
|
Ships which are certified to carry irradiated nuclear fuel or
high-level radioactive wastes and ships which are certified to
carry plutonium with no restriction on the aggregate radioactivity
of the materials.
|