In the work related to the issue of Denial of Shipment (DoS), a number of specific terms are used. These terms are defined here to ensure clarity and consistency in their application; where terms already exist in the IAEA Safety Glossary (2018 ed.), then these are used.
Denial or Delay of Shipment – A denial of shipment has previously been defined as “a (explicit or implicit) refusal to carry a shipment of radioactive material though it conforms to all the applicable Regulations.” While that definition is still relevant, some circumstances that are not covered by this definition warrant some updates to this definition. There are three situations that characterize a Denial or Delay of shipment, which are listed below:
Delay, when an intentional delay adds journey time, which reduces the effectiveness of the material or renders the material unusable when delivered. A typical example could be radiopharmaceuticals, which have a very short half-life and achieving the scheduled delivery programme is essential, being slowed solely because they are Class 7 material.
Denial, when a consignment is not accepted at a point during the journey, even though the consignment complies with all regulatory requirements, including documentation. An example of this type of denial could be a pilot or ship captain refusing to take a consignment of Class 7 material on board.
Denial, when there is a policy decision not to accept Class 7 by one of the parties involved in a route, rendering the route to be unavailable. An example of this type of denial could be an airline carrier, airport authority, sea vessel carrier or seaport authorities deciding not to accept any Class 7 materials while accepting other dangerous goods.
Facilitation of safe and secure transport of radioactive material - A wide range of measures that can be adopted to improve international transport and address any delays in or denials of shipments of radioactive material, while still ensuring that radioactive material is transported in compliance with IAEA safety standards and security guidelines.
National Focal Points (NFP) – Member State designated personnel that oversees the facilitation of Class 7 dangerous goods transport. Their responsibilities include knowing the main air/sea/land ports of entry / exit for Class 7 cargo, bringing together the main stakeholders for Class 7 transport (regulators, operators, port authorities, etc.) on a regular basis to share experience and challenges, and helping to overcome obstacles that might be causing unnecessarily long shipment times delays of, and denials in, shipment. The role of the NFP is pivotal to ensuring that the causes and, in some cases, instances of denials of or delays in shipment of radioactive material are successfully resolved.
NFP should be familiar with the practical procedures and regulations for the safe and secure transport of radioactive materials. NFPs are normally from within the national competent authority, and may alternatively come from technical support organisations or government sponsored organisations. The resources depend on the extent of DoS, the quantity of import / export / transit radioactive material, the transport modes used in the country and the size and amount of infrastructure. NFPs are responsible for initiating and maintaining their national network, for disseminating information on reporting and sharing knowledge, for facilitating the resolution of issues related to denials/delays of shipment, and for encouraging reporting.
Involved Parties – A person or organization involved in transport operations of Class 7 cargo. This includes Member States (such as Competent Authorities and other regulatory organizations), International Organizations, National Focal Points, Regional groups, Non-Governmental Organizations, carriers, producers, shipment consignors and consignees, ports, airports, freight forwarding organizations, users and other relevant organizations.
State Variation - Differences between the national regulations and the international regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material (as referred to in points (a) to (c) in Annex-I of SSR-6 Rev.1, and in para 2.5 of Annex 18 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation).
