A person holding a device on Ionizing radiation hazard symbol background

Blockchain-Based Radioactive and Hazardous Material Management System

Hyperledger Fabric-based system for monitoring, analyzing, and managing the entire radioactive materials supply chain, including all movements and operations performed and the history of transfers between organizations.

Project goals

Build a blockchain ecosystem with a web and mobile interface that would enable the processes of radioactive materials storage, transport, and disposal to be carried out transparently. The platform needed to provide efficient data management with access roles tied to administrators and storage facility personnel who handle the transport of hazardous materials and associated operations.

Work done

  • 1Administrator web portal for enforcing policies and regulations, managing storage, and transporting radioactive materials.
  • 2Full integration with existing ERP systems and SAP modules, including warehouse management, trip and delivery, transportation, automation planning, administration, etc.
  • 3Mobile application for storage facility personnel to take radioactive materials into custody and manage their proper handling.

Solution

Radioactive material storage management platform with a consolidated view that allows organizations to oversee transport and handling processes and monitor the storage conditions, and at the same time have detailed information on radiation assets such as devices, containers, and facilities.

Technologies used:

  • TypeScript icon
    TypeScript
  • React icon
    React
  • PostgreSQL icon
    PostgreSQL
  • Hyperledger icon
    Hyperledger

Typical use cases

  • Materials management

    The platform can be used by hospitals, research facilities, and manufacturing sites to document and track the maintenance of hazardous materials, and monitor equipment and storage facility conditions.

  • Overseeing of materials handling

    Using the platform, government authorities and companies that deal with these materials can oversee radioactive material handling. Government authorities can also audit and verify these processes and issue licenses to the organizations.
A scientist in a protective suit examining objects with a microscope

Radiation management

The interface of the Equipment page of MECA

Equipment management

The solution provides for equipment monitoring and management, including:
  • Container tracking
  • Inventory management
  • Treatment and conditioning
  • Authorization and approval
  • Generating inventory reports
  • Storage and disposal
  • Waste management
The interface of the Radiation source page of MECA

Radiation source tracking

The solution enables managers and storage facility personnel to follow the complete lifecycle of radiation sources. It helps track all of the areas where these products are transported, collected, handled, stored, and disposed of, including:
  • Shipping and transportation
  • Receiving areas
  • Warehouses and storage facilities
  • Manufacturing and processing lines
  • Lobbies and security posts
  • Laboratories
  • Disposal facilities.

Security management

In order to ensure safe and secure handling, and to avoid the risks of injury and damage to property as a result of mishandling, the system offers convenient digital material safety data sheets (MSDS) management.

  • Each data sheet is tied to the specific hazardous material
  • The data sheets contain information on material properties, its composition, physical health, environmental hazards, protective measures, and safety precautions for handling and transporting the material
  • The data sheets can be accessed from the handler’s mobile device by scanning the QR code of the container, thus enabling the personnel at each location of the supply chain or within a storage facility to know the exact safety procedures

The platform also allows generating compliance reports that can be directly accessed and verified by regulatory authorities.

Security management

A list of non-GHS transport pictograms

Radiation asset management

The solution offers the admin web portal, which is used by the representatives of the regulative authority for creating new records of radiation sources and materials. The system also allows them to specify the material’s parameters and details, such as the radiation level.

  • 1

    Record creation

    A record is created and added to the blockchain and timestamped according to the date of its creation.

  • 2

    Materials movement tracking

    The timestamp can be later used to track the movement of certain materials and view their maintenance history all the way back to their origins.

  • 3

    QR code assignment

    A QR code is also assigned to the new radiation source and used by storage facility personnel for acceptance.

  • 4

    Records tracking

    Organizations view the created records of radioactive materials assigned to them, as well as the history of transfers of these materials from the place they are utilized to the disposal facilities.

Blockchain implementation benefits

Since all the information is recorded on the blockchain and distributed across the whole supply chain landscape, there’s no more trouble with different parts of the system being isolated and no need for complex integrations of distributed databases and legacy applications.

The interface of the MLRIC & MLRICP page of MECA
  • Using Hyperledger as a platform for hazardous material management brings the following advantages for companies and regulatory authorities:
    • Easy access to all the information required for managing hazardous materials, with extensive capabilities for searching and filtering
    • Everyone works within a single environment, so regulatory experts are able to directly enforce requirements and companies have an easier way to maintain compliance
    • By eliminating redundant processes and streamlining information exchange, the system enables hazardous material storage to be more secure and significantly reduces operational expenses
  • Another major benefit of a platform based on blockchain is the use of smart contracts to eliminate third-party certification and verification processes. All of the terms and requirements are programmed into the smart contract, and it automatically executes after its conditions have been met. It results in the following benefits:
    • It speeds up compliance and exchange processes considerably
    • It also builds more trust, since agreements are executed through an unbiased digital process

Radioactive material handling and disposal with mobile app

  • The mobile interface of QR code reader of MECA

    QR codes to scan radioactive materials

    Storage facility personnel have the ability to scan QR codes of radioactive materials and take them under their custody. They can also view all the materials, record maintenance details and other parameters, and monitor storage conditions.

  • The interface of report functionality of MECA

    360-degree view of materials handling

    This information is recorded on the blockchain and distributed across all users with the proper access rights. Thus, all of the parties involved have a bird’s-eye view over radioactive material handling and disposal.

Project features

  • A blue icon of a cube
    Hyperledger Fabric blockchain storage to provide universal access for all stakeholders
  • A blue icon of a shield with a checkmark
    Radiation source management
  • A blue icon of a gear
    Radiation equipment management
  • A blue icon of a list
    Full history of radiation source movements and handling
  • A blue icon of QR codes reader
    QR codes generated to identify radiation materials