who favor metrication point out that there would be gains to the United States in adopting the metric system, considering the extensive and growing use of the metric system in other countries. Work in the field of international trade analysis and participation in international statistical activities might be facilitated by metrication. It was also noted that standards for occupational health and safety are now expressed in metric units, and metric engineering standards and systems are used by the regulatory agencies in this area. This facilitates the work of the Bureau of Labor Standards and will also be advantageous to expanding statistical work in the safety field. During the program of transition itself, programs concerned with training and education, such as those conducted by the Manpower Administration, have a particular concern since teaching the metric system would be crucial to its smooth and rapid adoption. The Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training points out that concerted action should include a “planned step-by-step program over a long transition period starting with the school system." All but one of the respondents of the Department of Labor regard a 10year transition period for metrication as satisfactory. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recommends a transition period of 2 years duration. In the price statistics programs of this Bureau, metrication would cause an unusually large number of specification changes. If the transition takes several years for U.S. industries to absorb, then changes would be spread out and the resulting costs of conversion would be small in any one year. However, it would be advantageous to the Bureau of Labor Statistics if all of the changes in the Bureau's statistical series could be accomplished at one time. In any event, transition will require the constant attention of the Bureau's statisticians. Impact of Metrication on Labor Affairs Present Metric Usage. At present, the metric system is used in less than one-fourth of the Nation's labor affairs activities. The metric system is used in the area of occupational health and safety where standards are expressed in metric units. Increasing domestic and international use of the metric system has had a negligible3 effect on the Nation's labor affairs and no trend toward increased metric usage is discernible. Future Impacts of Metrication. DOL expects the field of labor affairs to experience minor costs of conversion in the statistical area if there were a nationally planned program of metrication. The advantages of such a transition, however, would outweigh the disadvantages after the transition period, especially in those manpower areas in which much international work is done. The increasing domestic and international use of the metric system has had a trivial impact on the ability of the Department of Labor to perform its mission with regard to the Nation's labor affairs. Metrication has resulted in slight disruptions of certain statistics, such as industrial prices, due to changes in specifications. Adoption of the metric system might improve the effectiveness of the Department of Labor within the Nation's labor affairs because of the system's widespread usage. 3 See "Classification of Intensities of Impact" scale on p. 79. 421-813 O - 71 - 11 What Action Should Be Taken? The Bureau of Labor Statistics favors encouragement of an orderly transition to full metrication. This would include teaching of the metric system in schools, and as needed, on the job. In the field of international trade analysis and participation in international manpower activities, including international statistics, DOL should use metric measurement units whenever possible. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE (HEW) Liaison Representative: Robert Cox, Office of Management Systems, Office of the Secretary The mission of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) is to improve the administration of those agencies of the Federal Government whose major responsibilities are to promote the general welfare in the fields of health, education, and social security. The following chapter discusses the impacts of metrication upon the following agencies within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare: 1. Environmental Health Service 2. Food and Drug Administration 3. Health Services and Mental Health Administration 4. National Institutes of Health 5. Office of Education 6. Social Security Administration 7. Social and Rehabilitation Service ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICE Liaison Representative: William N. McCarthy, Jr., Division of Management Systems Respondents -Internal Operations: 1. Director, Division of General Services, Office of the Ad- 2. Director, Bureau of Abatement and Control, National Air 3. Director, Bureau of Criteria and Standards, National Air 4. Director, Bureau of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Na- 5. Bureau of Radiological Health, Environmental Control Ad- 6. Office of Information, Bureau of Solid Waste Management, 7. Director, Office of Program Development, Bureau of Solid 9. Director, Division of Research and Development, Bureau of 10. Director, Division of Technical Operations, Bureau of Solid 12. Office of Information, Environmental Control Administra- 13. Chief, Radiological Health Data and Reports Branch, Office Respondents - Environmental Pollution Control Area of National 1. Acting Assistant Administrator for Research and Develop- 2. Science Information Coordinator 1. Mission of the Environmental Health Service (EHS). The mission of the Environmental Control Administration (ECA), one segment of EHS, is to preserve and improve the physical environment in order to promote the health and welfare of man through programs designed to reduce levels of exposure of people to the following hazards: improper housing and living space, noise, rodents and insects, occupational and community accidents, waterborne disease, radiation, and waste accumulation. The mission of the National Air Pollution Control Administration (NAPCA), the other segment of EHS, is to conduct a national program for the prevention and control of air pollution in order to promote the public health and welfare. It sponsors programs in federal regulatory controls, research and development activities, technical and financial assistance, and in the development of air pollution manpower resources. 2. Present Metric Usage. Currently, metric units are used by 11 of 131 respondents in the EHS. Metric units are used by NAPCA for air quality data. The ECA uses metric units in radiological health activities, scientific reports and articles, laboratory activities, research and development, and in field work. Metric engineering standards are currently used by seven of the 13 EHS respondents. ECA uses metric engineering standards in radiological health activities, in published information from foreign sources, in field work, and in regulatory health protection standards. NAPCA uses metric engineering standards in test procedures. Eleven of the 13 EHS respondents cite specific advantages of current metric usage. Two mention disadvantages. The most frequently mentioned advantages of metric usage are facilitated international cooperation, use of SI by related scientific activities, and operational improvement. Lack of familiarization with the metric system and public preference for customary units and standards are the only disadvantages cited. 3. Anticipated Changes if There is No National Plan for Metrication (Assumption I). Eight of the 13 EHS respondents anticipate increased use of ' Office of Program Development and the Division of General Services do not use the metric system. metric units or engineering standards under this assumption. All three responding Bureaus of NAPCA (Bureau of Abatement and Control, Bureau of Criteria and Standards, and Bureau of Engineering and Physical Sciences) anticipate a complete conversion to metric units of measurement and engineering standards by January, 1973. Four respondents of ECA (Bureau of Radiological Health, Radiological Health Data and Reports Branch and the Technical Reports Branch of the Office of Information, and the Office of Information of the Bureau of Solid Waste Management) expect increased metric usage. These changes toward metrication will be brought about primarily by increasing domestic and international use of the metric system. The Bureau of Criteria and Standards of NAPCA and the Radiological Health Data and Reports Branch and the Technical Reports Branch in the Office of Information of ECA expect a cost increase of less than 1 percent as a result of these changes. The Bureau of Engineering and Physical Sciences of NAPCA and the Office of Information of the Bureau of Solid Waste Management in ECA both anticipate a savings of under 1 percent as a result of these changes. Five respondents of ECA anticipate problems if no changes toward metrication are made (NAPCA will have converted to the metric system by January, 1973). The most common anticipated problems deal with international cooperation and dual dimensioning, because of the increasing metric usage outside of ECA. 4. Anticipated Impact Under a Nationally Planned Program to Increase Use of Metric Measurement Units (Assumption II). Under this assumption, four respondents of the Environmental Health Service anticipate increased costs during the transition period, and nine respondents anticipate no cost impacts. Two respondents anticipate cost increases of under 1 percent during the transition period as follows: a. Bureau of Criteria and Standards-annual cost increases of b. Division of Technical Operations - annual cost increases of Two respondents expect annual cost increases of 1 to 5 percent during the transition period as follows: a. Division of General Services - an annual cost increase of $2,400. b. Bureau of Abatement and Control- an annual cost increase of $50,000 for retraining and republication. Three responding groups expect cost savings of under 1 percent during the post-transition as follows: a. Division of General Services - an annual savings of $400. b. Bureau of Criteria and Standards - an annual savings of $12,000 ($5,000 for education and $7,000 for conversion). |