ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the landscape of radioactive materials transportation requirements and is intended to introduce the basic concepts of transportation regulation, including the identification, classification, packaging, documentation, and other requirements that must be considered when planning a radioactive materials shipment. Planning and executing the safe shipment of radioactive materials is a complex process. A casual conversation with a layman about radioactive materials transportation is likely to focus on packaging durable enough to protect the integrity of the shipment, and on transportation practices that ensure public safety and security. Transportation regulations place a heavy emphasis on communicating the hazard of a radioactive materials shipment through proper identification, classification, and shipping documentation, only as the basis for a compliant shipment but also to establish a reliable source of information for emergency responders in the event of a transportation incident.
