Transport of radioactive material

Overview

Management licences that authorise companies to transport radioactive material authorise the transport of one or more of the following classes of radioactive material;

• radiopharmaceuticals
• radionuclides (that are not radiopharmaceuticals)
• sealed sources (that are not high consequence sealed sources (HCSS)), as defined in the Radiation Regulations 2017
• sealed-source apparatus (that do not contain high consequence sealed sources (HCSS)), as defined in the Radiation Regulations 2017
• low-specific activity radioactive material
• Category 1 HCSS
• Category 2 HCSS
• Category 3 HCSS

Licences issued for the transport of radioactive material authorise one or more of the following transport activities:

• Contract carriers - organisations that transport radioactive material on behalf of others.
• Consignors - organisations that possess or sell radioactive material and periodically consign the radioactive material for transport by contract carriers. This is the 'shipper' of the material (in most cases it is likely to be the owner of the radioactive material and the person who initiates the transport process).
• Private carriers - organisations that possess or sell radioactive material and occasionally move that material from one place to another as part of their normal operations.

Applicants seeking a management licence for transport of radioactive materials must meet certain prerequisites prior to being issued with a management licence.

Applicants need to demonstrate that they have the necessary systems to enable them to comply with the Code for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (2014). All of the following information must be included with your application (electronic files can be attached with your application).

Prerequisites: what information do I include with my application?

The following documentation must be included with your application (electronic files can be attached with your application).

1. Establishment of identity and authorisation

A radiation Management Licence can only be issued to a legal entity. In most cases the legal entity will be a registered company or a person.

If you are applying for a management licence under a company name you must provide:

• A current Company Extract issued by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). The extract must display the ACN number and the name of the director(s) of the company. A registration of a business or ABN is not accepted as evidence of a legal entity.
• If you are not a director of the company, then you must provide a Letter of Authority signed by a director of the company. The director must be listed on the ASIC company extract. A template for the Letter of Authority can be found here. The Letter of Authority will authorise you to do the following on behalf of the company:
  • Apply for a new management licence.
  • Apply to vary an existing management licence.
  • Submit a notification of acquisition and/or disposal.
  • Discuss matters relating to the radiation management licence with the department.

If you are applying for a management licence under a person’s name:

• Proof of Identity (Drivers licence or passport showing current physical address) of the person applying to be the licence holder.
• If you are applying on behalf of another person, then you must provide a Letter of Authority from that person. A template for the Letter of Authority can be found here. The letter must be signed by the person that is proposed to be the licence holder. The Letter of Authority will authorise you to do the following on behalf of the proposed licence holder:
  • Apply for a new management licence.
  • Apply to vary an existing management licence
  • Submit a notification of acquisition and/or disposal.
  • discuss matters relating to the radiation management licence with the department

2. A Radiation Management Plan

A Radiation Management Plan (RMP) is now a mandatory prerequisite that must be submitted when applying for the following:

• A new radiation Management Licence
• A variation to an existing radiation Management Licence
• A transfer of an existing radiation Management Licence to another legal entity

Please read the Radiation Management Plan page for details on the minimum requirements for RMPs.

In addition to the minimum RMP requirements, you need to include the following information in your RMP:

1. The name of the dosimetry service provider (DSP) that you will use.
2. The centre number assigned to you by the DSP.
3. A description of the types of radioactive materials that you are seeking authority to transport and in what capacity (i.e. contract carrier, consigner or private carrier).
4. Details of your quality assurance systems (e.g consignment tracking systems and chain-of-custody procedures.)
5. Emergency procedures in the event of transport accidents.

5. Where radioactive material will be stored for any period of time, provide details of the construction and shielding of the storage facility or premises that will ensure that no person will receive a radiation dose in excess of the relevant radiation protection limits specified in the Radiation Regulations 2017. These details must include shielding calculations.

3. Shielding assessment - Storage of radioactive material only

If you are applying for a licence involving the storage for the purpose of transport of radioactive material you must submit a shielding assessment report with your application. A shielding assessment determines the minimum amount of shielding that is required in the walls, doors, floor and ceiling of the radiation storage room used to ensure that no person receives a radiation dose in excess of the relevant radiation protection limits specified in the Radiation Regulations 2017. The assessment report must include the following:

• Floor plan showing the storage room in which the radiation source will be installed and the surrounding areas.
• Occupancy factors and purpose of surrounding areas.
• Methodology/references used in the assessment.
• Shielding required for the operator
• Radiation apparatus workloads used in the assessment
• The location of any related equipment e.g. controls, protective screens, warning lights.

4. Additional prerequisites for transport of high consequence sealed sources

For applications seeking authorisation to transport a high consequence sealed source (HCSS) or a high consequence group of sealed sources (HCGSS) as defined by the Radiation Act 2005 the following additional documentation is required:

• A generic Transport Security Plan endorsed by an approved assessor.
• A copy of a Certificate of Compliance issued by an approved assessor in respect of the Transport Security Plan.
• If you are a natural person (not a body corporate), you must provide evidence of your identity.
• If you are a body corporate, then you must provide evidence of the identity of the person who is responsible for the security of the high consequence sealed source or high consequence group of sealed sources.

Please note that additional requirements apply to licences authorising the storage of high consequence sealed sources. Refer to the high consequence sealed source page for further details.

Conditions of licence

General and practice specific conditions of licence are mandatory requirements that apply to radiation management licence holders. It is important as a management licence holder that you understand and comply with all the conditions of licence that apply to your licence. Failure to comply with a condition of licence is an indictable offence under the Radiation Act 2005

General Conditions of licence

Two general conditions apply to all radiation management licence. The general conditions relate to the reporting of incidents and the acquisition and disposal of radiation sources. Further information on the general conditions can be found at Disposal of radioactive material and X-ray equipment page.

Practice specific conditions of licence relating to the transport of radioactive material

Compliance with the Code for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (2014) (the Transport Code 2014) is a condition of licence for transport of radioactive material and applicants must be familiar with its requirements.

Management licences authorising the transport of radioactive material will require compliance with the conditions outlined in Table 1.

Table 1: Specific conditions on management licences for transporting radioactive material

Additional conditions apply to radiation management licences authorising the possession and storage of radiation sources.

Licence durations, licence fees, assessment process and timeframes

See the General information about management licences in Victoria page.

Do you need a use licence to transport radioactive material?

A use licence is not required to transport radiation sources. However additional authorisations for practices such as possession, storage and disposal may be required depending on the activities you intend to conduct. These additional practices may require individuals to hold a use licence.

If a person intends to use a radiation source then they must apply for a use licence enabling the use of a specific type of radiation source for a specific purpose. Some radiation sources are exempt from the requirement to hold a use licence. The use of a radiation source without the required use licence is an offence under the Radiation Act 2005.

For further information on use licence requirements and to apply for a radiation use licence please visit the use licence section.

Apply for a management licence or apply to vary an existing licence

All of the department's forms for applications are on-line forms. The form is completed online and automatically emailed to the department upon submission. Please remember to check what mandatory documents must be included with your application.

Complete the online form: Application for a new management licence

Complete the online form: Application to vary a management licence