Revised guideline for the approval procedure of package designs in Germany

The IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, TS-R-1 are applied in Germany through the implementation of the Dangerous Goods Transport Regulations for class 7 of the International Modal Organisations (ADR, RID, IMDG-Code, ICAO-TI). Based on this the approval procedures for packages designs applied in Germany are in compliance with the provisions of TS-R-1. The Guideline R 003 issued by the Ministry of Transport, Building and Housing (BMVBW) in 1991 is the basis for the package design approval procedures in Germany. This Guideline has been reviewed and revised to reflect latest developments in the regulations as well as in the regulatory practice. In particular it has been extended to the approval procedures of Type C packages, packages subject to transitional arrangements, special form and low dispersible radioactive material and provides more detailed information to the applicant about the requested documentation. Publication of this revised guideline has been delayed but it is expected to take place in October 2004. The paper gives an overview about the main parts and provisions of this revised Guideline R 003 with the focus on package design approval procedures