Code of Practice for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (2008)
This 2008 edition of the Code of Practice for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (RPS 2) (commonly referred to as the Transport Code) replaces the 2001 edition. It adopts the International Atomic Energy Agency Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material 2005 Edition (No. TS-R-1). It is intended to establish uniform requirements for the transport of radioactive material in Australia by road, rail or those waterways not covered by the Maritime legislation.
This 2008 edition was published in January 2008 and is intended to be adopted into legislation by all states and territories.
In August 2008, ARPANSA published the Safety Guide for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (RPS 2.1). This Safety Guide was prepared to assist persons in meeting their responsibilities under the Transport Code. In November 2012, ARPANSA also published the Safety Guide for the Approval Processes for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials (RPS 2.2) which provides advice and guidance on certification of radioactive sources, packages and certain types of transport.
A further edition of the IAEA Transport Regulations (now designated SSR-6) was published in late 2012. RPS 2 will need to be updated in due course to take this into account.
Download the 2008 Edition of the Code
ARPANSA no longer sells physical copies from the Radiation Protection Series. If you require this publication in a Word format please contact us.
Dangerous Goods (Class 7 Radioactive Material) Declaration Form
The following is an example of a typical consignor's declaration for radioactive materials to be transported by:
- road;
- rail; or
- those waterways not covered by maritime legislation.
Stakeholders are at liberty to adapt the style and/or format of the example form for their own purposes, but are reminded that the Transport Code prescribes the information required to be included.
NOTE: Where the transport document (Consignor’s Declaration) is printed with the elements of the radioactive materials description in clearly defined, individually headed columns, the actual sequence of items from 'Proper Shipping Name' to 'Subsidiary Risk' inclusive is not critical for the purposes of the Transport Code, provided these items precede the other elements. This Consignor's Declaration, however, may not be acceptable transport documentation for sea or air transport of dangerous goods.
Further documentation will most likely be required for air or sea transport and the appropriate authorities should be consulted if a particular consignment will involve those modalities.
For packages that will later be transported internationally by sea, the multimodal dangerous goods form is available from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
It should be noted however, that the airlines will only accept the International Air Transport Association (IATA) format of the Consignor's Declaration for air transport. The IATA version of the form can be accessed at Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Competent authorities
List of Australian Competent Authorities for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (updated April 2019):
Supporting documents
In 2007, ARPANSA contracted Calytrix Consulting Pty Ltd to prepare a report assessing the doses to workers involved in the transportation of heavy mineral concentrates. Given that transport of these materials is exempted at activity concentration levels 10 times the exemption levels specified in the Transport Code, ARPANSA wished to confirm the validity of the use of this 10 times factor through assessment of doses. The report below was provided to ARPANSA in September 2008 and is now publicly released via this web site. It concludes that doses to workers are low and that use of the 10 times factor is still appropriate.
