Module 1: Regulations - International Association of Fire Fighters

Student Text IAFF Training for Hazardous Materials: Technician©
Class 7 Radioactive Material
A radioactive material emits ionizing radiation. Material
with an activity of 0.002 micro curies per gram or more is
subject to regulation. Activity is measured at the package
surface. Materials within hazard class 7 do not have packing
groups. Instead, Roman Numerals are used to communicate
the intensity of the radiation emitted from the package.
Radioactive III is assigned to packages emitting the
most radiation.
Radioactive III
Radioactive II
Radioactive I
> 50 milliroentgens per hour
(mr/hr)
> .5 mr/hour and < 50 mr/hr
< .5 mr/hr
Examples of Class 7 materials include carbon 14, uranium
235 and thorium compounds.
Class 8 Corrosive Material
A solid or liquid that causes irreversible harm to human
skin (necrosis) over a specified (4 hour) period is regulated
as a corrosive. A liquid causing severe corrosion
(6.25 mm/g at 55 degrees C) on steel or aluminum is also
regulated as a corrosive.
As of December 29, 1994, the US DOT now allows the use
of pH to determine corrosivity. Class 8 materials are
chemically described as either acidic (a low pH) or basic (a
high pH). Corrosives are assigned to packing groups based
on necrosis time.
There are no divisions associated with hazard class 8.
Examples of corrosive materials include: mercury, battery
acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide.
Module 1: Regulations 1-37