RPS C-2 Rev. 1 — Code for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (2019)

Table of Contents

1. Source documents

  • Official PDF retained locally — ARPANSA, 2019; retrieved 16 September 2026.
  • Extracted text
  • Provenance and SHA-256 metadata

2. Authority and jurisdiction

  • National transport code intended for adoption by Australian jurisdictions.
  • Incorporates the IAEA transport regulations identified in the code, with Australian modifications, clarifications and additional requirements.
  • In Queensland the transport code is a standard transport-licence condition (Act s 75(4); Regulation s 70(2)(a)); the actual activity must also comply with its licence and other applicable source/security conditions.

3. Key takeaways

  • Applies to transport of radioactive material, including preparation, consigning, carriage, in-transit storage and receipt within the code's defined scope.
  • Uses graded package, activity, labelling, documentation, radiation-level, contamination and approval controls proportionate to the material and consignment.
  • Responsibilities are distributed among consignors, carriers, consignees and competent authorities; safe handover and traceable documentation are essential.
  • For radiation therapy, the most obvious relevance is movement of sealed brachytherapy sources and any other regulated radioactive consignments.
  • It should not be used to infer requirements for ordinary on-site clinical operation outside transport scope.

4. Summary

4.1. 1 — Introduction

  • States purpose, scope, application and the relationship to the incorporated IAEA transport regulations.

4.2. 2 — Australian modifications and clarifications

  • Identifies national interpretations or modifications needed to apply the incorporated international requirements in Australia.

4.3. 3 — Additional requirements

  • Adds Australian administrative or operational requirements beyond the incorporated text.

4.4. Schedule A — Incorporated IAEA transport regulations

Section I
Introduction.
Section II
Definitions.
Section III
General provisions.
Section IV
Activity limits and material classification.
Section V
Requirements and controls for transport.
Section VI
Requirements for radioactive material and packages.
Section VII
Test procedures.
Section VIII
Approvals and administrative requirements.
(no term)
Annexes provide supporting values and methods.

4.5. Schedule B — Competent authorities

  • Identifies Australian competent-authority arrangements relevant to transport approvals and oversight.

5. Important definitions, roles, limits and records

Consignor
Prepares and offers the consignment and carries major classification, packaging, marking, documentation and declaration duties.
Carrier and consignee
Hold transport- and receipt-stage responsibilities within the defined chain.
Package and consignment limits
Depend on radionuclide, activity, material and package type; use the source tables and approvals rather than a generic summary value.
Records
Classification, package approval, checks, labels, transport documents, handover, receipt and incident records as applicable.

6. Practical relationship to the THHS RSPP

  • Supports source-lifecycle and transport controls for HDR or other sealed radioactive sources, including defined responsibility, approved packaging and documented handover.
  • Works alongside security requirements in RPS 11 and Queensland source-acquisition, supply, relocation and transport requirements.
  • Detailed transport or security procedures should remain in controlled operational documents, not this study summary.

7. See Also