Competent Authority approval

Guidance for Applications for UK Competent Authority approval is provided in TRA-PER-GD-014

Regulatory requirements for the transport of Class 7 goods (radioactive material) in the UK are enacted in law via a mode of transport specific regulations. These regulations bring into law the expectations of the following transport mode specific international agreements:

1. Road – Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR)
2. Rail – Regulations concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID)
3. Sea – International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) code
4. Air – International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Technical Instructions

The above international agreements apply a graded approach and the aspects of radioactive materials transported involving the higher hazards are regulated by a permissioning regime and certain designs and activities require prior Competent Authority approval.

ONR is the GB Competent Authority for the civil inland surface transport of Class 7 dangerous goods. This statutory duty is given to ONR through The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations (CDG09). In accordance with Agency Agreements (see Article 7 The Energy Act 2013 (Office for Nuclear Regulation) (Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2014), ONR also acts on behalf of other civilian UK Competent Authorities in cases where Competent Authority approval is required; namely:

1. The Competent Authority of the UK in respect of sea transport, being the Secretary of State for Transport including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)
2. The Competent Authority of the UK in respect of air transport, being the Civil Aviation Authority Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
3. The Competent Authority of Northern Ireland in respect of road transport, being the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs - Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs - Northern Ireland (DAERA-NI)

ONR's ‘Applicants Guide' TRA-PER-GD-014 provides guidance to organisations applying to ONR for Competent Authority approval for new designs, renewal of existing approvals, validation of overseas approvals or modifications to approved designs.

The international agreements: ADR, RID, IMDG Code and ICAO technical Instructions are based upon the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (SSR-6). SSR-6 is supported by the IAEA Advisory Material for the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (SSG-26). SSR-6 and SSG-26 are considered to be relevant good practice and should be used to provide additional guidance on the interpretation or expectations of the transport mode specific international agreements.

Further supplementary guidance is available regarding expectations for criticality, shielding and dose rate, engineering and special arrangements.

Certification of transport packages and special form radioactive material