Singapore legislation
Regulation 17
of Radiation Protection (Transport of Radioactive Materials) Regulations
Regulation 17
Excepted packages
Subregulation 1
The provisions of Parts III, IV, V, VI, VII and VIII shall not apply to the transport of a package (referred to in these Regulations as an excepted package) if —
the general transport requirements specified in regulations 8, 9, 11, 13(1) and 16 are complied with;
the excepted package complies with the general package and packaging requirements in regulation 42;
in the case of an excepted package with a gross mass exceeding 50 kg, the permissible gross mass is legibly and durably marked on the outside of the packaging;
the excepted package is described in the transport document relating thereto as “RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, EXCEPTED PACKAGE”;
the transport document relating thereto states, in accordance with the Sixth Schedule, the proper shipping name of the substance or article being transported as an excepted package and the United Nations Number assigned to the material;
the radiation level at any point on the external surface of the excepted package does not exceed 5 µSv/h; and
the specific requirements in paragraphs (2) to (7) applicable thereto are complied with.
Subregulation 2
An excepted package comprising radioactive material which is enclosed in or forms a component part of an instrument or other manufactured article, and which has activity not exceeding the item and package limits specified in columns 2 and 3 of Table 1 of the Third Schedule shall comply with the following additional requirements:
the radiation level at 10 cm from any point on the external surface of any unpackaged instrument or article shall be not greater than 0.1 mSv/h; and
each such instrument or article (except radioluminescent time-pieces or devices) shall bear the marking “Radioactive”.
Subregulation 3
An excepted package comprising radioactive material in forms other than as specified in paragraph (2) and which has activity not exceeding the limit specified in column 4 of Table 1 of the Third Schedule shall comply with the following additional requirements:
the package shall retain its contents under conditions likely to be encountered in routine transport; and
the package shall bear the marking “Radioactive” on an internal surface in such a manner that a warning of the presence of radioactive material is visible on opening the package.
Subregulation 4
A package comprising any manufactured article in which the sole radioactive material is unirradiated natural uranium, unirradiated depleted uranium or unirradiated natural thorium may be transported as an excepted package provided that the outer surface of the uranium or thorium is enclosed in an inactive sheath made of metal or some other substantial material.
Subregulation 5
An empty packaging which previously contained radioactive material shall comply with the following additional requirements:
it shall be in a well maintained condition and securely closed;
the outer surface of any uranium or thorium in its structure shall be covered with an inactive sheath made of metal or some other substantial material;
the level of internal non-fixed contamination shall not exceed 1,000 times the levels specified in Section B of the First Schedule for excepted packages; and
any labels which may have been displayed on it in conformity with regulation 27(7) shall be no longer visible.
Subregulation 6
An excepted package containing fissile material shall comply with the following additional requirements:
each package shall contain not more than 15 g of fissile material, the smallest external dimension of which is not less than 10 cm or, in the case of unpackaged material, each consignment carried in or on a conveyance shall contain not more than 15 g of fissile material;
a package containing homogeneous hydrogenous solutions or mixtures shall satisfy the conditions listed in Table 9 of the Third Schedule or, in the case of unpackaged material, a consignment carried in or on a conveyance shall not exceed the limits specified in Table 9 of the Third Schedule;
in the case of a package containing uranium enriched in uranium-235 to a maximum of 1% by mass, and with a total plutonium and uranium-233 content not exceeding 1% of the mass of uranium-235, the fissile material shall be distributed essentially homogeneously throughout the material and in addition, if uranium-235 is present in metallic, oxide or carbide forms, it shall not form a lattice arrangement within the package;
in the case of a package containing not more than 5 g of fissile material in any 10 litre volume, the radioactive material shall be contained in a package which will maintain the limitations on fissile material distribution under conditions likely to be encountered during routine transport;
each package shall contain not more than 1 kg of total plutonium, of which not more than 20% by mass may consist of plutonium-239, plutonium-241, or any combination of those radionuclides;
where a package contains liquid solutions of uranyl nitrate enriched in uranium-235 to a maximum of 2% by mass, the total plutonium and uranium-233 content shall not exceed 0.002% of the mass of uranium-235, and the minimum nitrogen to uranium atomic ratio (N/U) shall be 2.
Subregulation 7
The transmission of an excepted package by post shall in addition be in accordance with regulation 23.