Onsite versus Offsite Shipments

DOE-HDBK-1129-99

The package will be capable of withstanding the effects of any acceleration, vibration, or

vibration resonance that may arise under normal conditions of transport without any

deterioration in the effectiveness of the closing devices on the various receptacles or in the

integrity of the package as a whole and without releasing the nuts, bolts, or other securing

devices even after repeated use.

For transport by air, the following requirements apply:

The integrity of containment will not be impaired if the package is exposed to ambient

temperatures ranging from -40C (-40F) to 55C (131F).

Packages containing liquids will be capable of withstanding, without leakage, an internal

pressure that produces a pressure differential of not less than 95 kPa (13.8 lb./square inch).

The surface temperature of packages is limited to 38C (100F) for nonexclusive shipments and

50C (122F) for exclusive shipments. This requirement should not be an issue with tritium

shipments based on the low decay heat for tritium.

The requirements for Type A packages include the ability to withstand the following tests specified

in 49 CFR 173.465:

Water spraysimulation of 2 inches of rainfall per hour for at least one hour.

Free dropa drop of 1 to 4 feet, depending on the package mass, onto a hard surface.

Stackingcompressive load of five times the package mass for a minimum of 24 hours.

Penetrationthis test is performed by dropping a 6 kilogram, 3.2 centimeter steel bar onto the

weakest point of the package from a minimum height of one meter.

Packages designed for liquids and gases are required to pass a more rigorous free drop and

penetration test than solids.

7.2.4

Onsite versus Offsite Shipments

Offsite shipments of hazardous materials or any shipment that meets the requirements of

"transportation in commerce" must comply with the HMR. DOT provided a clarification of

transportation in commerce in a 1991 letter to DOE. The following is excerpted from the letter:

"Transportation on (across or along) roads outside of Government properties

generally is transportation in commerce. Transportation on government properties

requires close analysis to determine whether it is in commerce. If a road is used by

members of the general public (including dependents of Government employees)

without their having to gain access through a controlled access point, transportation

on (across or along) that road is in commerce. On the other hand, if access to a

road is controlled at all times through the use of gates and guards, transportation on

that road is not in commerce.

"One other means of preventing hazardous materials transportation on Government

property from being in commerce is to temporarily block access to the section of the

road being crossed or used for that transportation. The road would have to be

blocked by persons having the legal authority to do so and public access to the

involved section of road would have to be effectively precluded."