{"operation":"document","citation":"11-0163","title":"International Radiation Safety Consulting, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2011-09-07","effective_on":null,"summary":"11-0163 response to International Radiation Safety Consulting, Inc. concerning 173.424, 173.443.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-11-0163.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-11-0163.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-11-0163","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2011/110163.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue. SE\nWashington. DC 20590\nSEP 0 7 2011\nMr. Sean Chapel\nPresident\nInternational Radiation Safety Consulting, Inc.\n17 Norfolk Road\nHolbrook, MA 02343\nRef. No.: 11-0163\nDear Mr. Chapel:\nThis responds to your July 12, 2011 letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials\nRegulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to the transportation of excepted\npackages for radioactive instruments and articles. Your questions are paraphrased and\nanswered below.\nQl: You ask whether, under the requirements for excepted packages for radioactive\ninstruments and articles and contamination control (see §§ 173.424(g) and 173.443(a)), a\nshipper may perform a wipe test on the instrument itself instead of the actual external\nsurface of the package?\nAI: Provided certain conditions are met, the answer is yes. As required by § 1 73.424(g), the\nnon-fixed (removable) radioactive surface contamination on the external surface ofthe\npackage must meet the requirements specified in § 173.443(a), which has both a\nquantitative upper limit, and an as-low-as reasonably achievable component. Section\n173.443(a) requires that the level of non-fixed radioactive contamination may not exceed\nthe limits set forth in Table 9 of § 173.443.\nThe shipper must either make one or more package wipe measurements and compare the\nresults against the limits in Table 9, or use another method ofequal or greater efficiency.\nIfa shipper utilizes a method which relies on a wipe test on the instrument itself instead\nofthe actual external surface ofthe package, it is acceptable provided it is of equal or\ngreater efficiency than the methodology in § 173.443(a)(1) and meets compliance.\nQ2: You ask whether it would be necessary to wipe test every device to demonstrate\ncompliance, or if a representative sample ofdevices per lot shipped could be wipe tested?\nFurther, you ask what minimum criteria would constitute a representative sample?\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nA2: A physical contamination survey on the outside of every package, or a wipe test on every\ndevice, is not mandated prior to each shipment. Furthermore, there is no minimum\ncriterion ofwhat would constitute a sample. The contamination limits must be met, and it\nis the shipper's responsibility to determine the methodology, as permitted by\n§ 173.443(a)(2), to be utilized by its operations while maintaining compliance with the\nrequirements of the HMR. It should be noted that many shippers survey every package\nbecause they do not want to assume the increased perceived risk ofusing an alternate\nmethod that might allow a contamination non-compliance issue.\nI hope this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\n(W~~\nT. Glenn Foster\nChief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nSuccessfol Device Approvals\nJuly 12,2011\nJim Williams\nRadioactive Materials Branch, PHH-23\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Technology\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nU.S. Department ofTransportation\n1200 New Jersey Ave. SE\nEast Building, 2nd Floor (PH)\nWashington D.C. 20590-0001\nDear Mr. Williams:\nThis letter is a request for a formal regulatory interpretation ofthe requirements listed in\n49 CFR 173.424(g), which state:\n(g) The nonfixed (removable) radioactive surface contamination on the external surface\nofthe package does not exceed the limits specified in §173.443(a);\nIs it acceptable for the shipper ofan instrument containing a radioactive source to\nperform a wipe test on the instrument itself, as opposed to wiping the actual external\nsurface of the package it is being shipped in, in order to demonstrate compliance with this\nrequirement?\nIn addition, please confirm ifit would be necessary to wipe test every device to\ndemonstrate compliance, or if a representative sample ofdevices per lot shipped could be\nwipe tested. If so please confirm what minimum criteria would constitute a\nrepresentative sample.\n17 Norfolk Rd., Holbrook, MA 02343 USA Ph. 877.266.0794 (U.S.)\n781.767.2176 (outside U.S.) Fax: 781.207.0453 www.irsc-inc.com\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\n2\nIf you have any questions please call me at 781.767.2176 or email me at\nschapel@irsc-inc.com.\nSincerely,\nSean C. Chapel\nPresident\n17 Norfolk Rd., Holbrook, MA 02343 USA Ph. 877.266.0794 (U.S.)\n781.767.2176 (outside U.S.) Fax: 781.207.0453 www.irsc-inc.com","truncated":false,"body_characters":4476}