[ RadSafe ] SI Purists

Tue Mar 29 11:20:30 CDT 2011

Australia was one of the first countries to adopt the SI units for radiation. I think it was in 1977. Although I was originally trained in curies, rads and rems, I have for many years automatically thought in becquerels, grays and sieverts.

Now it is quite an effort to convert back the other way.

I agree with Mike - bite the bullet and start using SI units exclusively. It will soon come naturally.

Regards

Richard Smart PhD
Chief Physicist & Radiation Safety Officer
Conjoint Assoc Prof, UNSW
Dept of Nuclear Medicine
St George Hospital
Kogarah
NSW 2217
Tel:02-91133129
Fax:02-91133991
r.smart at unsw.edu.au
________________________________________
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Perle, Sandy [SPerle at mirion.com]
Sent: Wednesday, 30 March 2011 2:29 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing  List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] SI Purists

When I was in the UAE all last week, the conversion from C to F never was an issue. I knew that at 33 degrees C, wearing a suit, it was HOT! When they said the temperature increases to 48 degrees C and humidity increases during the summer, I knew that it was like being in "hell", VERY HOT! I know that I won't be wearing a suit during meetings at that time! If I needed to, I could have done the conversion, if this were a critical requirement. Same thing when it comes to other SI units.

Start educating students today. They are the future that will be using the SI units.

Regards,

Sandy

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Sander C. Perle
President
Mirion Technologies
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2652 McGaw Avenue
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-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Stabin, Michael
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2011 7:59 AM
To: radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] SI Purists

To those who say "we just can't do it", I reiterate my 2 liter argument - of course you can learn to think in different units, it just takes a short time. One of the harder ones is F to C; being married to a Brasilian lady now, it took a few weeks, but I was thinking pretty easily in degrees C with just a little practice and relating to actual outdoor temperatures. Then we have to communicate with more than workers directly in our facilities, we are part of a worldwide scientific community, who now has to stop and think when we talk in antediluvian units and they are used to thinking in Bq now. It's so much easier, everything starts with 1 (J/kg, dis/sec, etc.), then add prefixes. Since I started cooking how I wish I had recipes and measuring devices in SI, I have to remember so many multipliers to cut or add to recipes. "cups in a pint...carry the three....multiply by 16...oh, I burned the garlic bread again..."

Mike

Michael G. Stabin, PhD, CHP
Associate Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences Vanderbilt University
1161 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37232-2675
Phone (615) 343-4628
Fax   (615) 322-3764
e-mail     michael.g.stabin at vanderbilt.edu internet   www.doseinfo-radar.com

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