Radioactive/Toxic Material and Waste Management
The Seibersdorf Laboratories deal with many small samples of radioactive and hazardous/toxic materials. The Radioactive/Toxic Material and Waste Management Group controls the materials and ensures their proper delivery, handling, storage, and disposal within the lab as well as their transport to and from the site in compliance with the related local and international regulations.
Toxic Products and Wastes:
About 200 toxic/very toxic chemicals/formulations are handled in the laboratories. To keep track of them, a computerized accounting system as well as log-books are utilized for ensuring their flow control.
The "Toxic Material Technician" is responsible for the supervision of the delivery of such products, for storing them in appropriately ventilated, monitored and locked chemical stores, and for distributing them to the end-users upon request. According to the local laws and regulations, he draws their inventory and surveys their expiration date yearly.
The Toxic Material Technician is also acting as site Waste Manager ("Abfallbeauftragter"). In this respect he ensures the segregation and proper disposal of all wastes and expired products. The latter operation requires the intervention of various outside specialized companies and appropriate accounting. The following Austrian regulations are complied with:
- Abfallwirtschaftsgesetz 2003
- Abfallnachweisverordnung 2003 BGBl. II Nr. 618/2003
- Abfallverzeichnisverordnung 2003 BGBl. II Nr. 570/2003
- Chemikaliengesetz ChemG 1996
- EU Richtlinien 67/548EWG und 88/379EWG
- Gefahrgutbeförderungsgesetz GGBG 2003 idF BGBl. I Nr. 61/2003
- Gefahrgutbeförderungsverordnung GGBV idF BGBl. II Nr. 303/1999
Radioactive Materials:
Radioactive materials handled in the frame of the Agency Laboratories activities (mainly for the Safeguards Analytical Laboratory or Safeguards Instrumentation Laboratory) are subject to very strict accountability.
The "Radioactive Material Officer's Assistant" has full responsibility for their suitable receiving, unpacking, transporting, storing, entering in an inventory database and shipping, in compliance with the following international regulations:
IATA
- IATA - Dangerous Goods Regulations (yearly edition) of the International Air Transport Association
ADR/RID
- European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) (updated every two years);
- International Agreement Concerning the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Train (updated every two years) (RID).
IAEA Safety Standards
Various Safety Standards and Guides concerning the Transport and Handling of Radioactive Materials:
- Safety Series No.6 - Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material
- Safety Standards Series No. TS-D-1.1 (ST-2) - Advisory Material for the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material
- Safety Series No.7 - Explanatory Material for the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material
- Safety Series No.37 - Advisory Material for the Application of the Transport Regulations
- Safety Series No.80 - Schedules of Requirements for the Transport of Specified Types of Radioactive Material Consignments
- Safety Series No.115 - International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources
AUSTRIAN Laws
Various Safety Standards and Guides concerning the Transport and Handling of Radioactive Materials:
- Gefahrgutbeförderungsgesetz GGBG 2003 idF BGBl. I Nr. 61/2003
- Gefahrgutbeförderungsverordnung GGBV idF BGBl. II Nr. 303/1999
- Strahlenschutzverordnung BGBl. Nr. 47/1972