To facilitate the integration of the IAEA’s TS-R-1 regulations into the international standards, the IAEA and members of its Transport Safety Standards Committee (TRANSSC) work closely with the CETDG to incorporate the TS-R-1 safety requirements into the UN Model Regulations. As a result, the UN Model Regulations now provide a complete set of UN-recommended requirements for all classes of dangerous goods. This approach results in having the TS-R-1 requirements serve as the universal basis for worldwide radioactive materials transport safety.

In addition, the CETDG, IAEA, ICAO, IMO and UN ECE have worked closely to develop an efficient approach to keeping the dangerous goods regulations up to date and closely coordinated. A two-year revision cycle is used by the CETDG to keep the Model Regulations current and avoid a backlog of issues. Similarly, the ICAO, IMO, UN ECE (secretariat for ADR and ADN) and the secretariat for RID all follow two-year revision cycles that commence with the completion of each CETDG revision cycle.

This closely coordinated set of revision cycles by the various international organizations defines the external environment with which the IAEA Transport Regulations need to effectively integrate. In order to facilitate harmonization, the IAEA works to provide two-year inputs to the CETDG revision cycle. Initially, the IAEA Regulations were updated in detail on an approximate ten-year cycle. With a view to global harmonization, it was noted that moving to a two-year cycle did not require that the IAEA Transport Regulations be revised every two years and it was agreed it could be considered a review cycle rather than a revision cycle. This approach allows for the frequent publication of as amended versions (containing no comprehensive changes), issued when needed; as well as revised versions (containing comprehensive changes), issued when needed. It allows two-yearly input to the UN Model Regulations. Consequently, the two-year review cycle was adopted by the IAEA. Thus, the radioactive material regulations are kept up to date and as consistent as possible with the UN Model Regulations.