Aviation - Class 7 Radioactive Contamination

According to §175.705, persons involved in the handling and transportation of HAZMAT must take care to avoid possible inhalation, ingestion, or contact with Class 7 radioactive materials that may have been released from their packagings.

Each aircraft that routinely transports Class 7 materials must be checked periodically for radioactive contamination. If contamination is present or suspected, the package containing the radioactive material, any loose radioactive material, associated packaging material, and any other materials that have been contaminated must be segregated as far as possible until radiological assistance is received from the U.S. Department of Energy or the appropriate state or local authorities.

An aircraft with a Class 7 material contamination must be taken out of service and may not return to service until the aircraft is checked in accordance with §173.443, where the dose rate at every accessible surface is less than 0.005 mSv per hour. No significant surface contamination must be present.

An aircraft operator must notify the offeror at the earliest possible moment following an incident in which there has been a breakage, spillage, or suspected radioactive contamination. This notification is in addition to the reporting requirements found in §171.15, §171.16, and §175.31.

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