Hong Kong Regulations

RADIATION (CONTROL OF RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES) REGULATIONS - REGULATION 7

Conveyance of radioactive substances on vehicles or vessels

(Past version on 30/06/1997).

(1) No person shall move, or cause or permit to be moved, by land or water any
radioactive substance except under and in accordance with a written permit
granted by the Authority.

(2) Except with the permission in writing of the Authority, no person shall
convey, or cause or permit to be conveyed, on any one vehicle or vessel at any
one time more than 40 containers of radioactive substance bearing White or
Yellow Labels or, in the case of containers bearing Yellow Labels, such lesser
number of containers as will limit the total number of radiation units
indicated on such Labels to a number not exceeding 40 units.

(3) For the purposes of subregulation (2), the total of the dose rates of the
following types of radiation measured at 1 m from the external surface of a
package, at the place where the value is highest, shall be called the number
of radiation units for the package-

   (a)  for gamma-and/or X-radiation of energy greater than 200 keV: the
        number of microcoulombs per kilogram per hour multiplied by 4;

   (b)  for gamma-and/or X-radiation of which more than 20% has an energy less
        than 200 keV: the number of microcoulombs per kilogram per hour
        multiplied by 6;

   (c)  for beta-radiation: the number of microcoulombs per kilogram per hour
        multiplied by 4 which is equivalent;

   (d)  for neutrons: the number of radiation units, according to the flux
        relationship given in the Table to this subregulation. (L.N. 410 of
        1982)

TABLE

Relationship of neutron flux to radiation unit.

Energy of neutrons Flux equivalent to 1 radiation
unit (neutron/cm2s) 0.025 10 10 0.1 0.5 1 2 3 to 10 eV
eV
keV
MeV
MeV
MeV
MeV
MeV 267
267
133
27
11
8
5
4

(4) No person shall convey, or cause or permit to be conveyed, any radioactive
substance on any vehicle unless there be conspicuously displayed at the front
and rear thereof notices in English and Chinese indicating the presence of
such substance.

(5) No person shall convey, or cause or permit to be conveyed, any radioactive
substance in any vehicle or vessel except under the supervision of the owner,
consignor or consignee of the substance or his representative authorized in
that behalf.

(6) (Repealed L.N. 226 of 1990)

(7) No person shall convey, or cause or permit to be conveyed, any goods
classified in the Dangerous Goods (Application and Exemption) Regulations (
Cap 295 sub. leg. A) as being dangerous goods in the same vehicle as that in
which any radioactive substance is conveyed unless such dangerous goods are
themselves radioactive substances. (L.N. 226 of 1990; 10 of 2005 s. 211)

(8) Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of-

   (a)  subregulation (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence and liable on
        conviction to a fine of $15000; and

   (b)  subregulation (4), (5) or (7) shall be guilty of an offence and liable
        on conviction to a fine of $6000. (L.N. 98 of 1970; L.N. 226 of 1990)