Computation of radioactive material transport limits within A1/A2 working group at IAEA TRANSSC

IAEA’s (International Atomic Energy Agency) publication SSG-26 defines a methodology for calculating A1/A2 values. These values were conceived as limits for the transport of radioactive goods, to limit the public’s exposure to radiation in the event of an accident. The limits ensure people involved in an accident receive an effective dose of no more than 50 mSv and a skin equivalent dose no greater than 500 mSv. The current values are based on five exposure scenarios taken from the Q-System, described in 1996. In 2013, the IAEA commissioned an international working group to improve the Q-System and calculate new limits for the transport of radioactive material. Within this working group, CERN has developed a set of models and an associated mathematical framework, and compiled them in a single piece of software. The primary purpose of the software is to compute and compare values produced by the different models under discussion. Later, the software could be distributed in a lighter version which will include the agreed upon regulatory model to determine the A1/A2 values.