Re: Let's hear it for SI units!

[Bob Flood <bflood@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>]

>The number of badged individuals (not including all of the 
>individuals monitored by other techniques) is significantly greater 
>in the USA than ALL of those badge/monitored in the rest of the 
>world, combined.

This is the dominant consideration in the decision, I believe. The cost and
cultural upheaval in the workforce to adjust to the SI units can only be
justified if there is some benefit to be gained from all the hassle. But a
change of units won't reduce anyone's dose or improve anyone's on-the-job
safety.

Based on my experience training radiation workers, I cannot imagine how an
instructor in front of a class consisting of staff that ranges from
laborers to Nobel-winning scientists could explain the changes and then
answer the inevitable trainee question: "why are we doing this?"

Such a change is, of course, a much easier task if the nation uses little
radioactive material and has few people to monitor. That's why the smaller
"third world" countries have made this change and we haven't. It's a
difference of scale - it's an enormous job (and expense) for us to make the
switch to SI units, and when it's done, all we'd have for our trouble and
money would be new units.

===================================
Bob Flood
Dosimetry Group Leader
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
(650) 926-3793
bflood@slac.stanford.edu
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html