Each year, more than 20 million packages containing radioactive material are transported across the world, often using public railways, roads and ships. For six decades, international adherence to the IAEA’s Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material has helped to keep people and the environment safe from radiological hazards—to date, no one has ever been injured by radioactive material in transit.
However, in countries heavily engaged with uranium mining and milling, such as South Africa, Niger and Namibia, or in countries with expansive transportation facilities, like Djibouti and Tanzania, there is still a pressing need to establish requirements for the safe handling and transportation of radioactive material, and to equip regulators with the tools to enforce them.
The IAEA, through its technical cooperation (TC) programme[1], is providing detection equipment, technical guidance and training in 26 countries across Africa, to the National Competent Authorities responsible for the safe transport of radioactive material , in order to help them discharge their statutory duties.
Although the primary responsibility for safety lies with consignors and carriers, Competent Authorities are tasked with ensuring compliance with all relevant safety requirements. To help maintain and perpetuate the exemplary record of worldwide transport safety, the IAEA regularly supports the development of new skills and capacities by Competent Authorities, which are typically national regulators, ministries or specialized agencies.
“Competent Authority staff members must understand the technical aspects of the IAEA’s Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material and their application to the transport of radioactive material if they are to assure compliance with safety requirements,” explained Eric Reber, a Transport Safety Specialist in the IAEA’s Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety. “Training courses like those offered through the IAEA’s TC programme and the Agency’s Transport Safety eLearning platform provide necessary training opportunities.”
From 18 to 28 January, 24 staff members of Competent Authorities in African countries attended a virtual training course to better understand the provisions of the Agency’s transport safety standards and other international guidelines. Lectures delivered by IAEA and international experts clarified the requirements for packages containing radioactive material, and preparing and transporting a radioactive consignment, regardless of the mode of transport — whether by land, sea or air — and the additional stipulations for packages moving through and across international borders.
