Shipping Radioactive Freight

Recently, there was a bit of a nuclear alert scare on a vessel in Halifax. There was a possibly radiation leak on this ship from a container after 4 canisters of the material fell 20 feet. The substance in question was uranium hexafluoride and the carrier was the Atlantic Container Line (ACL). First responders rushed to the ship to conduct inspections and examinations. After some time, the first responders found that no substance spilled, there was no damage and no one was contaminated or injured.

It is very rare when there is a radioactive spill on a container ship. Every year, there are 20 million shipments of radioactive materials worldwide. Rarely are there ever any problems or any reasons for a scare. Your trusted freight forwarder can explain that shipping radiation materials in a container can be very common. Many radioactive shipments are transported over the ocean on purpose-built ships that can handle this type of freight. And the International Maritime Organization (IMO) maintains a Dangerous Goods Code that regulates the shipping of radioactive materials. There are also specially designed containers used for the transportation of radioactive materials across the ocean. ‘Type A’ containers are typical containers and are used for low activity radioactive materials. ‘Type B’ containers are used for high-level radioactive materials, and contain special shielding.

When you receive an instant ocean freight shipping quote online, you will be asked to disclose if your freight is hazardous. The reason for this is for safety purposes of proper transportation.