Radioactive Material Packaging Torque Requirements Compliance

Shipping containers used to transport radioactive material (RAM) in commerce employ a variety of closure mechanisms. Often, these closure mechanisms require a specific amount of torque be applied to a bolt, nut or other threaded fastener. It is important that the required preload is achieved so that the package certification testing and analysis is not invalidated for the purpose of protecting the public, workers, and environment. Torque compliance as a means of ensuring closure preload, is a major factor in accomplishing the package functions of confinement/containment, sub-criticality, and shielding. This paper will address the importance, as a matter of operational practice, of applying proper torque to package closures, discuss torque value nomenclature, and present one methodology to ensure torque compliance is achieved.