Section III. RAIL MOVEMENT CHECKLIST

TM 55-315

k. In a moving or standing train, a car placarded RADIOACTIVE may not be placed next to another placard car

loaded with non-radioactive material (other than one placarded COMBUSTIBLE), an engine, an occupied caboose, or a

carload of undeveloped film. Cars placarded RADIOACTIVE may be placed next to each other.

12-6. Location of Packages in Railcars (49 CFR 174.700)

Packages of radioactive material labeled Radioactive Yellow-II or Radioactive Yellow-III must not be placed in railcars,

depots, or other places closer than the distances shown in table 12-1 to an area or a dividing partition between areas that

may be occupied constantly by passengers, employees, or shipments of animals, nor closer than the distances shown to

any package containing undeveloped film (if so marked). If more than one of these packages is present, the distance

shall be computed based on the total transport index (sum of individual transport indexes).

12-7. Cleanliness of Railcars After Use (49 CFR 174.715)

Each railcar or other transport vehicle used to transport radioactive materials as exclusive use must be surveyed, with

appropriate radiation detection instruments, after each use. A vehicle may not be returned to service until the radiation

dose rate at any accessible surface is 0. 5 millirem per hour or less and there is no significant removable radioactive

surface contamination (paras 3-9 and 3-10). This requirement does not apply to any railcar used solely for transporting

radioactive materials if a survey of the interior surface of the car shows that the radiation dose rate does not exceed 10

millirems per hour at the interior surface, or 2 millirems per hour at 3 feet from any interior surface. Such a car must be

stenciled with the words FOR RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS USE ONLY in lettering at least 3 inches high in a conspicuous

place on both sides of the exterior of the car, and it must be kept closed at all times other than during loading and

unloading.

12-8. Special Requirements for Fissile Materials (49 CFR 174.700)

a. Each Fissile Class III shipment (para 2-17) must be transported according to one of the methods prescribed in 49

CFR 173. 457 (para 6-16). The transport controls must be adequate to assure that no Fissile Class III shipment is

transported in the same railcar with any other fissile radioactive material shipment.

b. In loading and storage areas, each Fissile Class III shipment must be segregated by at least 20 feet from other

packages requiring one of the radioactive labels.

12-9. Accidents/incidents Involving Leakage (49 CFR 174.750)

a. Accident/incident reporting procedures are contained in chapter 7.

b. Besides the other reporting requirements, the carrier shall notify the shipper at the earliest practicable time

following any incident in which there has been breakage, spillage, or suspected radioactive contamination involving

radioactive materials shipments. Vehicles, buildings, areas, or equipment in which radioactive materials have been

spilled may not be returned to service or routinely occupied until the radiation dose rate at any accessible surface is less

than 0. 5 millirem per hour and there is no significant removable radioactive surface contamination (paras 3-9 and 3-10).

c. Packages or materials involved in the accident/ incident should be segregated as far as practicable from

personnel. If radiological advice or assistance is needed, the Department of Energy should be notified (chap 7). In case

of obvious leakage, or if it appears likely that an inside container may have been damaged, care should be taken to

avoid inhalation of, ingestion of, or contact with the radioactive material. Any loose radioactive materials should be left

in a segregated area and held pending disposal instructions from qualified persons.

d. Information involving the handling of radioactive materials in the event of a wreck can be found in Bureau of

Explosives Pamphlets 1 and 2.

Section III. RAIL MOVEMENT CHECKLIST

12-10. Use of Checklist

When a shipment of radioactive materials by rail is planned or moved, the following checklist can be used as an aid to

assure that all required considerations are completed. The checklist consists of a series of questions, each of which

requires a yes answer. Necessary actions to allow a yes answer to each question should be carried out to assure that a

shipment meets the applicable criteria.

12-11. Rail Movement Checklist

a. Have packaging checklists been completed? (4-25)

12-3