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“ In practice , when is it appropriate to express doses in Sieverts as opposed to Gray , and vice-versa ? I understand the scientific definition of what each unit represents , and have previously been informed that Sieverts are more suitable for stochastic effects whilst Gray are for deterministic . Is this accurate ? At what point do you switch units , if at all ? It ' s something I ' ve never had a firm grasp on as there don ' t appear to be any hard and fast rules , so I ' d appreciate some help ."
Answer : The unit of the Gray ( Gy ), or unit of absorbed dose ( in J / kg ), is used to express the physical dose to a specific absorber . The unit is often used in medical applications and when discussing large quantities of dose . In such a case , the amount of dose can be directly measured then used in calculations .
The unit of the Sievert ( Sv ) is used to estimate the biological impact of radiation exposure . This takes account of both the type of radiation causing the effect ( using a radiation weighting factor ) and also the relative biological impact of the radiation exposure to tissues of the body and / or whole body . More typically , Sv is used to express the dose to a person which results in stochastic effects at typically low dose and low dose rates .
While the units may seem interchangeable in some cases , e . g . gamma or X-ray radiation to a specific tissue ( where the equivalent dose to the tissue in Sv would be numerically the same as the absorbed tissue dose in Gy ), it is usual to express organ dose medically or which might result in deterministic effects in units of Gray . Units of Sievert are more commonly used to quantify the dose for radiation protection purposes .
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RISING GENERATIONS GROUP
The Mentor Scheme
Did you know RGG offers a mentor scheme to SRP members ? It matches individuals with more experienced RP professionals in a similar industry to their own , but outside of their own company . Although it is aimed at RGG members , it is available to any SRP member .
What are the benefits ? Sometimes personal development isn ' t just about what is good for your current company so getting the view of an outsider on what you are thinking of doing regarding your career or helping with your RPA portfolio , can be invaluable . The mentor will be independent to your current employer and able to challenge you in a way that someone within your company may not be able to do .
www . srp-uk . org / user / mentoring-scheme ( you will need to be logged in to MySRP )
Who can be involved ? The only limitation to be a mentee is that you need to be an SRP member , then all you need to do is email admin @ srp-uk . org to ask to be assigned a mentor .
Not looking for a mentor yourself , but would like to help out ? RGG is always on the look-out for new mentors , so if you feel you can support someone who is less experienced in their career , all you need to do is contact SRP to offer your services . Mentoring someone would be great evidence for all grades of professional registration applications .
SRP ' s Rising Generations Group ( RGG ) aims to help the development of individuals who are in the first ten years of their radiation protection career . Please get in touch by email to RGG @ srp-uk . org
14 Radiation Protection Today www . srp-rpt . uk