---
kind: "section"
citation: "49 C.F.R. § 173.427"
title: "49"
number: "173.427"
heading: "Transport requirements for low specific activity (LSA) Class 7 (radioactive) material and surface contaminated objects (SCO)."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/49/173.427"
---

# §173.427. Transport requirements for low specific activity (LSA) Class 7 (radioactive) material and surface contaminated objects (SCO).

- (a) In addition to other applicable requirements specified in this subchapter, LSA material and SCO must be transported in accordance with the following conditions:
  - (1) The external dose rate may not exceed an external radiation level of 10 mSv/h (1 rem/h) at 3 m (10 feet) from the unshielded material;
  - (2) The quantity of LSA material and SCO transported in any single conveyance may not exceed the limits specified in Table 5;
  - (3) LSA material and SCO that are or contain fissile material must conform to the applicable requirements of [§ 173.453](/cfr/49/173.453.md);
  - (4) Packaged and unpackaged Class 7 (radioactive) materials must conform to the contamination control limits specified in [§ 173.443](/cfr/49/173.443.md);
  - (5) External radiation levels may not exceed those specified in [§ 173.441](/cfr/49/173.441.md); and
  - (6) **For LSA material and SCO consigned as exclusive use—**
    - (i) Shipments must be loaded by the consignor and unloaded by the consignee from the conveyance or freight container in which originally loaded;
    - (ii) There may be no loose radioactive material in the conveyance; however, when the conveyance is the packaging, there may not be any leakage of radioactive material from the conveyance;
    - (iii) Packaged and unpackaged Class 7 (radioactive) material must be braced so as to prevent shifting of lading under conditions normally incident to transportation;
    - (iv) Specific instructions for maintenance of exclusive use shipment controls shall be provided by the offeror to the carrier. Such instructions must be included with the shipping paper information;
    - (v) The shipment must be placarded in accordance with [subpart F of part 172](/cfr/49/part172-subpartF.md) of this subchapter;
    - (vi) For domestic transportation only, packaged and unpackaged Class 7 (radioactive) material containing less than an A2 quantity are excepted from the marking and labeling requirements of this subchapter, other than the subsidiary hazard labeling required in [§ 172.402(d)](/cfr/49/172.402.md?p=d). However, the exterior of each package or unpackaged Class 7 (radioactive) material must be stenciled or otherwise marked “RADIOACTIVE—LSA” or “RADIOACTIVE—SCO”, as appropriate, and packages or unpackaged Class 7 (radioactive) material that contain a hazardous substance must be stenciled or otherwise marked with the letters “RQ” in association with the description in this [paragraph (a)(6)(vi)](#a-6-vi); and
    - (vii) Transportation by aircraft is prohibited except when transported in an industrial package in accordance with Table 6 of this section, or in an authorized Type A or Type B package.
- (b) Except as provided in paragraph [(c)](#c) or [(d)](#d) of this section, LSA material and SCO must be packaged as follows:
  - (1) In an industrial package (Type IP-1, Type IP-2 or Type IP-3; [§ 173.411](/cfr/49/173.411.md)), subject to the limitations of Table 6;
  - (2) In a DOT Specification 7A ([§ 178.350](/cfr/49/178.350.md) of this subchapter) Type A package;
  - (3) In any Type B(U) or B(M) packaging authorized pursuant to [§ 173.416](/cfr/49/173.416.md);
  - (4) For domestic transportation of an exclusive use shipment that is less than an A2 quantity, in a packaging which meets the requirements of [§ 173.410](/cfr/49/173.410.md); or
  - (5) In portable tanks, cargo tanks and tank cars, as provided in § [173.411(b)(4)](/cfr/49/173.411.md?p=b-4) and [(5)](/cfr/49/173.411.md?p=b-5), respectively.
- (c) LSA-I material and SCO-I may be transported unpackaged under the following conditions:
  - (1) All unpackaged material, other than ores containing only naturally occurring radionuclides, must be transported in such a manner that under routine conditions of transport there will be no escape of the radioactive contents from the conveyance nor will there be any loss of shielding;
  - (2) Each conveyance must be under exclusive use, except when only transporting SCO-I on which the contamination on the accessible and the inaccessible surfaces is not greater than 4.0 Bq/cm 2 for beta and gamma emitters and low toxicity alpha emitters and 0.4 Bq/cm 2 for all other alpha emitters;
  - (3) For SCO-I where it is reasonable to suspect that non-fixed contamination may exist on inaccessible surfaces in excess of the values specified in [paragraph (c)(2)](#c-2) of this section, measures shall be taken to ensure that the radioactive material is not released into the conveyance or to the environment; and
  - (4) The highway or rail conveyance must be placarded in accordance with [subpart F of part 172](/cfr/49/part172-subpartF.md) of this subchapter.
- (d) LSA material and SCO that exceed the packaging limits in this section must be packaged in accordance with [10 CFR part 71](/cfr/10/part71.md).
- (e) **Tables 5 and 6 are as follows—**

## Notes

### Amendments

[79 FR 40613, July 11, 2014]

### Source

Source: Amdt. 173-244, 60 FR 50307, Sept. 28, 1995, unless otherwise noted.

### Authority

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 5101-5128, 44701; 49 CFR 1.81, 1.96 and 1.97.

### Amendments

[79 FR 40613, July 11, 2014]