Radioactive material package appearance can vary widely from normal looking cardboard boxes with inner containers to very robust drums and casks. The type of packaging used to transport radioactive materials is determined by the radioactivity, type, and form of the materials to be shipped. There are 5 categories of radioactive packaging.

• Excepted Packages. Excepted packages are those that contain very low amounts of radioactivity and pose little to no threat. They do not require placarding or labeling and do not warrant further description on shipping papers. An example of an excepted package may include a case of smoke detectors.
• Industrial Packages. Industrial packages are typically low-level radioactive waste and contaminated materials. An example maybe a typical 55-gallon drum containing radioactive contaminated PPE from a cleanup site. Industrial packages are required to be appropriately labeled, marked, and documented on shipping documents.