How to Store Radioactive Materials

Where are you located?

Middle east

The requirements should be comprehensively explained in the relevant building or construction standard relating to hazardous radioactive waste storage (I don't know what it is called thou as we in New Zealand are nuclear free).

I don't have the link to the American standard database, but the European standards link is below, you may find it in there.

http://www.iec.ch/searchpub/cur_fut.htm

Even though you Kiwis are "nuclear free", I'd put money on there being a pretty fair amount of radioactive material around down there.

It's used extensively in medical diagnosis and treatment, and in industrial NDT (I'm sure there are lots of other uses, but can't think of them). There are, admittedly, alternatives for the NDT (can use ultrasonics sometimes, or X-ray gennys, but gets difficult for field work), but I don't think better alternatives have been found for some of the medical applications.

Thing is, OP has given us no idea of the nature of the materials - he doesn't mention "waste".

Unfortunately, pointing someone at a bunch of standards doesn't work for radiation - there are too many variables for a non-pro to get to grips with.

What he really needs to do is get in touch with an RPA (Radiation Protection Adviser, which is what they're called in the UK & Ireland), or his local equivalent.

Googling "RPA radiation" brings up a lot of leads - contacting one of them may direct him in the right direction.

At least he could give us AN BIT MORE INFO, PLEASE!

HI John,

ur right... i did not mention nuclear waste whatsoever... actually, we are in a business receiving and transporting packages of radioactive materials for various uses - medical and industrial. we operate a cargo warehouse and we were required by authorities to construct a radioactive room (i.e. storage facility especially for radioactive materials/consignments).

appreciate ur help.

Since the sources will all be in approved transportation containers, the shielding requirements won't be very great - the most important thing will probably be keeping some distance between the sources and the outside of the walls. The other main concern will be security.

I'm not qualified to give you the full answers - again, you need to get hold of an adviser who is qualified and who knows (or has access to) your local regs.

Good luck, John.

hi the construction will need to examined by a Radiation Safety Officer from the health department.

Your industrial radiography standards and examination have provision in the code for the structural sizing, shielding and concrete thicknesses dependant on the relvant source strength. Bare in mind the type of equipment and their strength in units of measure tell how many individual sources can be stored, the type and the size of the units of sheilding required to protect the general public and technicians alike.

Brent

that makes sense...

to all who shared their thoughts and knowledge on this subject, many thanks...

jack