SAFDRUM® 3970A/3975A

Package Type

Designed as a Type A Package to the IAEA SSR-6 2018 Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material for the shipment of solids or liquids.

Certification

Previously certified as a general-purpose Type A package for the carriage of radionuclides in solid or liquid form under the requirements of IAEA SSR-6 2018 Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material.  Currently undergoing Type A recertification tests which will enable an increase range of contents to be transported.

Description

The SAFDRUM^® 3970A and SAFDRUM^® 3975A are reusable packaging designs manufactured from stainless steel to give a long service life.  Both designs consist of an Outer Drum (Design No 3970 or 3975) with a fabricated stainless steel body and pressed steel lid held in place with a painted steel closure band.  The stainless steel Containment Vessel (CV), Design No 3971 or 3976, is held within polyethylene shock absorbing packing.

The CV (Design No 3971 or 3976) is a resealable stainless steel containment vessel, which carry the radioactive contents in suitable primary containers.  When contents are liquids, (within syringes, etc,) absorbent material, which is to be provided, must be fitted inside the can. When the contents are bottles or vials, these may be packed in plastic bags/containers, or carried in lead pots when additional shielding is required.

Containment / Shielding

The 3971 CV and 3976 CV provides the containment system of the packaging.  Both designs incorporate a single O-ring seal closure.  The 3971 CV is a large cavity design with an additional test point for periodic leakage testing.  When liquids are carried, they are to be immobilised within the containment system using absorber or primary containment.  A wide range of primary packaging (including lead pots used with bottles or vials) can be carried, provided the packaging conforms to the specification referenced in the approval certificate.

Approved Contents

• Radioactive material, in liquid or solid form.  A variety of sealed primary containers can be used with liquid contents (e.g. vials).  Absorbent material must be used with primary containers that are not sealed (e.g. syringes).
• Liquid contents are limited to a maximum volume of 26 litres for Design No 3971 and 1 litre for Design No 3976, when packed in suitable sealed primary containers.
• The contents are also limited to A1 for material in special form and A2 for other material, with the additional requirement that the external radiation levels of the package, during routine and normal conditions of transport, as consigned for transport, are within regulatory limits.

Modes of Transport

By road, rail, sea and air.

Physical Data