Subpart E.-Detailed regulations governing poisonous articles 146.25-1. Definition of poisonous articles: (a) Poisonous articles are divided by the Interstate Commerce Commission regulations into four classes according to degree of hazard in transportation. These are: Extremely dangerous poisons-Class A. Tear gases or irritating substances-Class C. (b) These poisonous articles are defined by the Interstate Commerce Commission regulations as set forth in paragraphs 146.25–5, 146.25–10, 146.25–15, and 146.25–20, and such definitions are binding upon all shippers making shipments of poisonous articles by common carrier vessels engaged in interstate or foreign commerce by water. These definitions are accepted and adopted and form part of the regulations in this subchapter and apply to all shippers making shipments of poisonous articles by any vessel and shall apply to owners, charterers, agents, master or other person in charge of a vessel, and to other persons, transporting, carrying, conveying, storing, stowing, or using poisonous articles on board vessels subject to R. S. 4472, as amended (46 U. S. C. 170), and the regulations in this subchapter. 146.25-20. Radioactive materials, Class D, radioactive materials label: (a) Radioactive material is any material or combination of materials that spontaneously emits ionizing radiation. For the purpose of the regulations in this part radioactive materials are divided into 3 groups according to the type of rays emitted at any time during transportation, as follows: (1) Group I.-Radioactive materials that emit gamma rays only or both gamma and electrically charged corpuscular rays. (2) Group II.-Radioactive materials that emit neutrons and either or both types of radiation characteristic of Group I materials. (3) Group III.-Radioactive materials that emit electrically charged corpuscular rays only, i. e., alpha or beta, etc., or any other, radioactive material that is so shielded that the gamma radiation at the surface of the package does not exceed 10 milliroentgens* per 24 hours at any time during transportation. *In determining compliance with requirements of these regulations, all measurements of radiation must be made with a Landsverk-Wollan Electrometer Model L-100, or equally efficient standardized meter. 146.25-25. Exemptions for radioactive materials: (a) Radioactive materials are exempt from prescribed packaging, marking other than the name of the contents, and labeling requirements, provided they fulfill all of the following conditions: (1) The package must be such that there can be no leakage of radioactive materials under conditions normally incident to transportation. (2) The package must contain not more than 0.1 millicuries** of radium, or polonium or that amount of strontium 89, strontium 90, or barium 140 which disintegrates at a rate of more than 5 million atoms per second; or that amount of any other radioactive substance which disintegrates at a rate of more than 50 million atoms per second. (3) The package must be such that no significant alpha, beta, or neutron radiation is emitted from the exterior of the package, and the gamma radiation at any surface of the package must be less than 10 milliroentgens per 24 hours. (b) Manufactured articles other than liquids, such as instrument or clock dials of which radioactive materials are a component part, and luminous compounds, when securely packed in strong outside containers are exempted from specification packaging, marking other than name of contents, and labeling requirements provided the gamma radiation at any surface of the package is less than 10 milliroentgens per 24 hours. (c) Radioactive materials, such as ores, residues, etc., of low activity, packed in strong tight containers, are exempt from specification packaging, marking other than name of contents, and labeling requirements for transportation on board vessels only if the gamma radiation or equivalent at any point in any space or area continuously occupied by passengers, crew, or shipments of animals, will not exceed 40 milliroentgens per 24 hours at any time during transportation. 146.25–30. Packing and shielding of radioactive materials: (a) Not more than 2,000 millicuries of radium, polonium, or other members of the radium family of elements, and not more than that amount of any other radioactive substance which disintegrates at a rate of 100,000 million (1011) atoms per second may be packed in one outside container for transportation on board vessels, except by special arrangements and under conditions approved by the Commandant of the Coast Guard. **For purposes of the regulations in this part 1 millicurie is that amount of any radioactive material which disintegrates at the rate of 37 million atoms per second. (b) Radioactive materials that present special hazards due to their tendency to remain fixed in the human body for long periods of time (i. e., radium, plutonium, and radioactive strontium, etc.) must, in addition to the packing prescribed in this subpart, be packed inside metal containers (ICC specification 2R) or other containers approved by the Bureau of Explosives, and authorized by the Commandant of the Coast Guard. (c) All radioactive materials must be so packed and shielded that the degree of fogging of undeveloped film under conditions normally incident to transportation (24 hours at 15 feet from the package) will not exceed that produced by 11.5 milliroentgens of penetrating gamma rays of radium filtered through 1/2 inch of lead. (d) The design and preparation of the package must be such that there will be no significant radioactive surface contamination of any part of the container. (e) The smallest dimension of any outside shipping container for radioactive materials must not be less than 4 inches. (f) All outside shipping containers must be of such design that the gamma radiation will not exceed 200 milliroentgens per hour or equivalent at any point of readily accessible surface. Containers must be equipped with handles and protective devices when necessary in order to satisfy this requirement. (g) The outside shipping container for radioactive material, unless specifically exempt by paragraph 146.25-25 (a), (b), or (c), must be a wooden box (ICC specification 15A or 15B), a fiber drum (ICC specification 21A), or a fiberboard box (ICC specification 12B), except that equally efficient containers may be used when approved by the Bureau of Explosives and authorized by the Commandant of the Coast Guard. (h) Radioactive materials, Group I, liquid, solid, or gaseous, must be packed in suitable inside containers completely surrounded by a shield of lead or other suitable material of such thickness that at any time during transportation the gamma radiation will not exceed 10 milliroentgens per hour at a distance of one meter (39.3 inches). The shield must be so designed that it will not break or open under conditions incident to transportation. The minimum shielding must be sufficient to prevent the escape of any primary corpuscular radiation to the exterior of the outside shipping container. (j) (1) Radioactive materials, Group II, liquid, solid, or gaseous, must be packed in suitable inside containers completely shielded so that at any time during transportation the radiation measured at right angles to any point on the long axis of the shipping container will not exceed the following specified limits: (i) Gamma radiation of 10 mrhm. (ii) Electrically charged corpuscular radiation which is the physical equivalent* of 10 mrhm. of gamma radiation. (iii) Neutron radiation which is the physical equivalent of 2 mrhm. of gamma radiation. (iv) If more than one of type of radiation named in subdivisions (i), (ii), and/or (iii) of this subparagraph is present, the radiation of each type must be reduced by shielding so that the total does not exceed the equivalent of subdivision (i), (ii), or (iii) of this subparagraph. (2) The shielding must be designed so as to maintain its efficiency under conditions normally incident to transportation and must provide personnel protection against fast or slow neutrons and all other ionizing radiation originating in the radioactive materials or any part of the aggregate constituting the complete package. *For the purposes of the regulations in this part the "Physical Equivalent" of a roentgen is that dose of any ionizing radiation which results in the absorption in tissue of ionizing energy equivalent to 93 ergs per gram of tissue. This is approximately the dose which is imparted to soft tissue by 1 roentgen of gamma or X-rays but it may be imparted by corpuscular radiation which is not measured in terms of roentgens. |