Author: Watson, S.

Source: Packaging, Transport, Storage and Security of Radioactive Material, Volume 17, Number 4, 2006 , pp. 229-231(3)

Publisher: Maney Publishing

Abstract:

A survey has been carried out on the transport of radioactive materials by road and rail in the UK by the Health Protection Agency's Radiation Protection Division. This survey, carried out in 2004, is the latest in a series of periodic studies on the transport of radioactive materials by all modes of transport. Questionnaires were sent to hospital departments, radionuclide manufacturers, suppliers, and carriers, and to the nuclear and other industries, in order to obtain data on shipments of radioactive materials. Visits were made to hospitals, suppliers, carriers and some railway premises in order to observe working practices and radiological surveys were made while packages were handled. Assessments of individual doses to workers and members of the public were made, and occupational dosimetry data were also obtained. It was found that ∼500 000 package movements take place by road annually in the UK, with ∼4000 package movements annually by rail. Radiation doses to most transport workers are low, with an average dose of 0·6 mSv to general workers transporting medical and industrial sources. Doses to individual members of the public are very low, with average annual doses of less than 0·02 mSv.

Keywords: TRANSPORT; RAIL; RADIOLOGICAL; ROAD; RADIOACTIVE

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/174651006X158006

Publication date: 2006-12-01

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• The archive of Packaging, Transport, Storage and Security of Radioactive Material has a previous title, International Journal of Radioactive Materials Transport, going back to 1990. View issues of International Journal of Radioactive Materials Transport.
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