Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search

Certification of transport packages

Federal regulations require that some types of package designs be certified by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) before those packages are used in Canada. Packages must meet strict performance standards for shielding, containment and the ability to withstand accident conditions of transport.

CNSC staff carry out a technical review of the information once an application for the certification of the design of the package is submitted. Applicable test results are submitted to ensure that the package design meets the requirements set out in the regulations.

Overview

The CNSC regulates all aspects of the packaging of radioactive material through the Packaging and Transport of Nuclear Substances Regulations, 2015 (PTNSR 2015). This includes the design, production, use, inspection, maintenance and repair of packages.

The basic philosophy around transport safety is that safety relies primarily on the design of the transport package. This philosophy has guided the development of these regulations:

The robustness of the package designs, in combination with additional regulatory controls, allow nuclear substances to be transported safely in all modes of transport. The modes of transport include road, rail, air and sea transportation.

All nuclear substances are transported in packages that are selected based on the nature, form and quantity or activity of the nuclear substance. There are general design requirements that apply to all package types to ensure that they:

  • can be handled safely and easily
  • are secured properly
  • are able to withstand routine conditions of transport

The PTNSR 2015 requires that certain types of package designs be certified by the CNSC before those packages are used in Canada. To be certified by the CNSC, packages must meet strict performance standards for:

  • shielding
  • containment
  • ability to withstand accident conditions of transport

Transport of nuclear substances in Canada

Learn how the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission regulates the transport of nuclear substances in Canada—from packing to delivery.

Transcript

Soft, uplifting music plays.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission signature appears.

Text appears: The transport of nuclear substances in Canada is safe and highly regulated.

Narrator: The transport of nuclear substances in Canada is safe and highly regulated. Anyone who transports nuclear substances must follow strict requirements set by Transport Canada and by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, or the CNSC.

Two shields, each inscribed with a check mark, appear. The shield on the left sits on a green background with the word “Safe” below it. The shield next to it sits on a blue background with the words “Highly regulated” below it.

An illustration of a person reviewing a document appears. To the right, 4 vertically stacked shields with check marks appear one at a time. A hand holding a certificate slides in from the left, and a blue truck rolls in just below it.

The words “Transport Canada” and “Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission” fly in from opposite sides and meet in the middle just below the image.

A map of Canada appears to the left. To the right, a number counter appears with large green numbers rolling up to reach the number 750,000. As the counter goes up, the map of Canada fills up with the colour blue from the bottom to the top until the counter stops and the map is solid blue.

Text appears: 750,000 shipments of nuclear substances are transported to, from and within Canada every year.

Narrator: About three quarters of a million shipments of nuclear substances are transported to, from and within Canada every year. The vast majority of these shipments contain substances that are used for medical, industrial, academic, research and commercial purposes.

A green rectangle, representing an empty shipment, fills the screen. Five smaller white rectangles fly in from the right to fill the shipment. A bell-like sound marks the appearance of each rectangle. Each one has an illustration representing the types of substances that shipments can contain: medical, industrial, academic, research and commercial. The image freezes on the screen for a moment.

Narrator: Only a very small proportion of shipments include radioactive waste and used nuclear fuel.

The shipment image zooms out to reveal a total of 12 similar shipments stacked in a blue transport truck. As the image zooms out, a small purple package can be seen, representing radioactive waste and used nuclear fuel. It continues to zoom out, emphasizing the very small proportion of the radioactive waste and used fuel in comparison to other the shipments in the truck. The blue truck turns green, and drives to the left, disappearing from view. A simple sketch of trees and a landscape remains on the screen.

The screen is divided in the middle by a thin horizontal black line . On the left side is an image of a transport truck. In the background there are mountains and trees, and a large map is floating, showing a route with a green line. On the right side of the screen is a character looking down at a tablet, and a digital map showing the route with a green line is in the background. The 2 green lines begin to simultaneously disappear and the screen fades to white.

Narrator: Routes for transporting higher-risk material are not shared publicly to keep the material safe and to protect people and the environment.

At the left of the screen, a blue transport truck appears with a map flashing in the background. An oversized character wearing a red hooded shirt and a face mask is gripping the truck. A circle with a diagonal slash forms around this image, and the music becomes dramatic.

A scene to the right emerges, pushing the scene on the left away and moving to the centre. This scene features a nature composition, with 2 large mountains and trees in the background. A brown bear and its cub watch salmon jump in and out the water. Across the river is a family: One character is standing up looking at a trail map, and the other is kneeling down with a child, admiring the vegetation. A rabbit appears from behind the person kneeling, and a bird can be seen flying far in the distance. The scene is enclosed by a green circle, and a pair of oversized hands fly in to hold the circle, demonstrating protection. The scene fades to white.

A package designer is at a workstation. Packages move across a conveyor belt until they reach the designer who, using an index finger, activates the design process. Gears begin to turn and lights flash. Packages roll out on the belt and more packages roll in. A small globe with a green shield appears at the centre, expanding to cover the screen before it fades out.

Narrator: For nuclear substances, safety relies heavily on the design of the transport package. Each package must meet the CNSC’s requirements, which are based on international standards. These standards ensure that packages are secure, can be handled safely, and are strong enough to withstand routine transport conditions.

Three individuals at the centre of a scene, with 2 green shields – 1 on either side of them. One person is looking at a tablet and the others are pointing to a location drop pin. A drone flies up from the ground while a plane flies across the sky. A train rolls in from the left while a ship moves in from the right, below the characters, and traffic-like sounds such as horns and engines can be heard in the background.

Narrator: For packages carrying high-risk material, the requirements are even more robust, and packages are tested to ensure that they are safe in the event of an accident.

A truck with high-risk material is at a testing facility. This image becomes smaller as it moves to the top left corner of the screen, fading to reveal 4 quadrants, each displaying a different scene. Text in the centre of the screen reads “Tests simulate potential accidental conditions.”

The top left quadrant shows a package being dropped to the ground from a high distance, with a worker observing. The scene at the top right shows a package being exposed to high temperatures. In the bottom left quadrant, a package is submerged in water. At the bottom right, a blue transport truck is carrying a package. The screen zooms in on the truck, which turns green and rolls out of the scene.

Narrator: CNSC engineers certify packages for use in Canada for the highest-risk quantities and types of nuclear substances.

Three engineers holding documents and pens are looking at a high-risk package and nodding. This image moves up to the left to reveal an image of a certificate with a map of Canada. To the left of the certificate is a hand holding up a stamp. As the hand comes down and uses the stamp, the word “CERTIFIED” appears below it, and the certificate badge changes from blue to green.

Narrator: All transport activities involving nuclear substances must comply with CNSC regulations, even though most shipments do not require a licence. When required, transport licences are issued by a designated officer on behalf of the Commission.

An oversized image shows an inspector sitting over an exit gate. A green truck rolls to the gate; the inspector has his hand up and taps a green shield appearing as the truck pulls up. A check mark appears in the shield, which activates the barrier arm to raise up to let the truck go through. Another truck pulls up, but this time the shield appears in yellow to indicate that a licence is required. A licensing document comes up from below and reaches the shield. The shield turns green, the check mark activates, the barrier arm raises up, truck rolls ahead and scene fades to white.

Narrator: CNSC inspectors conduct frequent compliance checks to verify proof of training for transport workers, review documents, and inspect packages to ensure that they are properly prepared for transport.

A scene is split into 4 quadrants. The top left shows an inspector taking a close look at the compliance report on a tablet. At the top right is a person sitting at a desk taking training. There is an image of a green truck on the computer screen and a training certificate flies in from the right. The bottom left shows an inspector reviewing the documents as an industrial cart with packages rolls up to a check point. The bottom right shows an inspector reviewing packages before being loaded for transport. A green circle with a check mark appears on the documents and the inspector nods. The scene fades to white.

Narrator: Inspectors have the power to stop the transport of nuclear substances if the packages do not comply with our regulations.

In the middle of the screen is a map with an inspector in front, their hand facing forward. A dark grey truck rolls in from the left towards the inspector. The inspector’s hand turns up and gets larger to signal “stop”; a banner with a lock and the word “STOP” appears in the top left corner of the map – all red. A yellow shield with an exclamation mark expands and covers the middle of the truck. The scene fades out.

Four previously seen scenes fly in and stay close to each corner of the screen. The top left is the scene showing a designer working on packages. The top right scene shows methods of transportation such as a drone, truck, airplane, train and ship. The bottom left scene displays a transport route for higher-risk materials, with the route disappearing (not shared publicly). The bottom right shows a nature scene with an adult brown bear and its cub, watching salmon jump in and out of the water, surrounded by mountains. Across the river is a family enjoying nature, one person is standing up looking at a trail map, and the other kneeling down facing a child, both admiring the vegetation. A rabbit hops behind the parent and child, and an eagle can be seen and heard in the distance. A green circle forms around this scene and a pair of oversized hands fly in to hold the green circle to signify protection. The screen turns green.

Narrator: From packaging to delivery, the CNSC’s oversight of the transport of nuclear substances in Canada ensures the protection of the environment as well as the and the health, safety, and security of all people in Canada.

The screen fills with white, and a blue banner opens up from the middle, displaying the hyperlink text for the CNSC website, reading “nuclearsafety.gc.ca”. The banner turns green and the screen fades to white. The Government of Canada federal identity wordmark appears. The video closes with a short musical outro.

Key points

Note these key points about the certification of transport packages:

  • Transport safety is mainly ensured through robust package design.
  • Packages for transporting high-risk levels of radioactive material require CNSC certification and must pass rigorous tests.
  • Package testing can include free-drop testing, puncture testing, thermal testing and accident simulations.
  • Applications must include design, safety and maintenance information.
  • CNSC engineers conduct thorough, robust reviews of each application and consult specialists when needed.
  • Peer reviews and opportunities to be heard ensure the fairness and thoroughness of the certification process.

Packages for transporting low-risk levels of radioactive material

Type A packages are designed for the transport of low-risk levels of radioactive material. These packages do not require certification by the CNSC due to the low level of risk. These packages carry quantities that will have little or no impact on the health and safety of Canadians. The responsibility for meeting the regulations is with the consignor (sender).

The consignor must provide written demonstration that the package meets regulatory performance standards before they can be used in Canada. These standards are defined in the PTNSR 2015. Substances transported in these types of packages include:

  • surface-contaminated objects
  • portable gauges
  • medical isotopes
  • empty packages that may contain residual contamination

Packages for transporting high-risk levels of radioactive material

Packages designed for the transport of high-risk levels of radioactive material require certification by the CNSC before they can be used in Canada. The types of packages that require certification by the CNSC include:

  • Type B packages
  • Type C packages
  • Type H packages
  • packages used to transport fissile material (as defined in the SSR-6: Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, 2018 Edition)

These packages are designed to transport nuclear substances such as sealed sources used for industrial radiography, used nuclear fuel and enriched uranium. Certified package designs can be used only to transport the specific substances for which they are designed.

Packages must meet strict performance standards for shielding, containment and the ability to withstand accident conditions of transport to be certified by the CNSC. The packages requiring certification undergo strict testing that must simulate both normal and accident conditions of transport. The tests can include free-drop, puncture and thermal testing, and accident simulations.

Testing methods in Canada are based on the requirements of the IAEA SSR-6, Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, 2018 Edition. The following videos offer examples of international testing simulations performed on transport packages:

The CNSC requires that users of the package be registered for cases where the nuclear substances must be transported in certified transport packages. With this approach, only those who are registered by the CNSC to use a certified package can use it. Registration to use a certified package confirms that the registered person or company has the proper instructions to prepare the package for shipment.

Certification process

An application for the certification of the package design must be submitted for packages requiring approval by the CNSC. The certification process is identical for all packages requiring approval for use in Canada even if the design has been certified in another country.

Application requirements

The CNSC has cooperated with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the United States Department of Transportation to produce an application guide. It is the RD-364, Joint Canada – United States Guide for Approval of Type B(U) and Fissile Material Transportation Packages. This application guide can be used for both a new application and revalidation of a U.S. package design in Canada.

An application typically contains information on:

  • structural design
  • thermal evaluation
  • shielding evaluation
  • containment of the nuclear substance in the package
  • operation of the package
  • maintenance program to be followed
  • applicable quality assurance program

The PTNSR 2015 does not prescribe specific standards to be followed for the package design. It requires that compliance be demonstrated through:

  • testing on specimens or scale test models
  • engineering calculations and reasoned arguments using national or international industry standards
  • reference to similar previously certified packages

Application review

All applications are assessed by CNSC engineers. They carry out a technical review of the information and applicable test results submitted as part of the application. The technical review ensures that the package design meets all the requirements specified in the PTNSR 2015.

Certification staff may also request assistance from other CNSC specialists depending on the characteristics of the design. For packages designed to contain fissile material for example, the application contains an analysis demonstrating that the package remains subcritical following the tests. The analysis is reviewed by a specialist in that field.

CNSC staff refer to these regulations and guidance documents to assist in their review:

Assessments are peer reviewed to ensure that the package fully complies with all applicable requirements. A summary of the assessment of the application and associated recommendations on the certification of the package design is then provided to the designated officer. The designated officer is responsible to issue a decision on the certification.

An “opportunity to be heard” process is available when approval is not recommended. The applicant can provide additional information and justification demonstrating that the package fully complies with all applicable requirements.

The review of an application takes between 3 months and 18 months depending on the situation. Service standards for certification decisions are posted on the CNSC website. Fees for the certification of transport packages are provided in the fee schedule that is updated annually and posted on the cost recovery program page.

See the full list of CNSC Certified Transport Packages and Special Form Radioactive Material. This list is updated twice each year.

Page details

Date modified: