S.I. No. 235/1983 - European Communities ((Units of Measurement) Regulations, 1983.

1. IMPERIAL UNITS

Quantities, Names of Units, Symbols and Approximate Values

Quantity

Unit

Name

Symbol

Approximate Value

Length

hand

1 hand = 0.1016 m

chain

1 chain = 20.12 m

furlong

1 furlong = 201.2 m

nautical mile (UK)

1 nautical mile (UK) = 1853m

Area

square inch

sq. in.

1 sq. in. = 6.452 × 10

-4

m

rood

1 rood = 1012 m

square mile

sq. mile

1 sq. mile = 2.59 × 10

6

m

2

Volume

cubic inch

cu. in.

1 cu. in. = 16.39 × 10

-6

m

3

cubic foot

cu. ft.

1 cu. ft. = 0·0283 m

3

cubic yard

cu. yd.

1 cu. yd. = 0.7646 m

3

bushel (1)

bu.

1 bu. = 36.37 × 10

-3

m

3

cran

1 cran = 170.5 × 10

-3

m

3

Mass

grain

gr.

1 gr. = 0.0648 × 10

-3

kg

dram

dr.

1 dr. = 1.772 × 10

-3

kg

stone

st.

1st. = 6.35 kg

quarter

qr.

1 qr. = 12.70 kg

cental

ctl.

1 ctl. = 45.36 kg

hundredweight

cwt.

1 cwt. = 50.80 kg

ton

1 ton = 1016 kg

Pressure

inch of water

in. H

2

O

1 in. H

2

O = 249.089 Pa

Force

pound force

1 bf

1 lbf = 4.448 N

ton force

tonf

1 tonf = 9.964 × 10

3

N

Illuminance

foot candle

ft. candle

1 ft. candle = 10.76 1x

Speed

knot (UK)

1 knot (UK) = 0.51477 m.s.

-1

Energy

British Thermal

Btu

1 Btu = 1055.06 J

Unit

foot pound force

ft. lbf

1 ft. lbf = 1.356 J

Power

horsepower (2)

hp.

1 hp. = 745.7 W.

degree

Temperature

Fahrenheit

°F

1° F = (

5

/

9

) K

(1) This does not affect the unit of measurement of mass (pound per bushel) and Regulation 7 of the European Communities (Standard Mass per Storage Volume of Grain) Regulations, 1976 (

S.I. No. 111 of 1976

), continues to have effect.

(2) This does not apply to the unit employed for the purposes of excise duty on mechanically propelled vehicles used on public roads.

2. CGS UNITS

Quantities, Names of Units, Symbols and Values.

Quantity

Unit

Name

Symbol

Value

Force

dyne

dyn

1 dyn=10

-5

N

Energy

erg

erg

l erg=10

-7

J

Acceleration of free fall

gal

Gal

1 Gal= 10

-2

M·S

-2

3. OTHER UNITS

Quantities, names of units, symbols and values.

Quantity

Unit

Name

Symbol

Value

Wavelength, atomic distances

angstrom

A

1 A = 10

-10

m

Effective cross -sectional area

barn

b

1 b = 10

-28

m

2

Mass

quintal (a)

1 quintal = 10kg

Pressure

standard atmosphere

atm

1 atm = 101 325 Pa

Volume (forestry and timber trade)

stere

st

1 st = 1 m

3

(a)

No international symbol exists.

4. SPECIAL UNITS

Quantities, names of units, symbols and values.

Quantity

Unit

Name

Symbol

Value

Volume

Festmeter

Fm

1 Fm = 1 m

3

(forestry and timber industry)

Raummeter

Rm

1 Rm = 1 m

3

Force

kilogram force

kgf

1 kgf = 9.806 65 N

kilopond

kp

l kp = 9.806 65 N

Pressure

torr

torr

technical atmosphere

at

1 at = 98 066.5 Pa

meter of water (conventionally: 1 m H

2

O)

mH

2

O

1 mH

2

O = 9 806.65 Pa

millimetre

mmHg

1 mmHg=133.322 Pa

of mercury (1) (conventionally: 1 mm Hg)

Power

Pferdstarke

PS

1 Ps = 735.498 75W

paardekracht

pk

1 pk = 735.498 75 W

cheval vapeur

CV

1 CV = 735.498 75 W

cavollo vapore

cv

1 cv = 735.498 75 W

Quantity of heat

calorie 15°C

cal

15

1 cal

15

= 4.185 5 J

thermie

th

1 th = 4.185 5 × 10

6

J

frigorie

fg

1 fg = 4.185 5 × 10

3

J

calorie IT

cal

IT

cal

rr

= 4.186 8J

thermo-chemical

cal

th

ch

1 cal

th

,

ch

= 4.184J

calorie

Luminance

stilb

sb

1 sb = 10

4

cd.m

-2

Temperature

degree kelvin

°K

1°K=1K

(1)

Except where this unit is used for measuring blood pressure (see Schedule 2).

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 28th day of July, 1983.

FRANK CLUSKEY,

Minister for Trade, Commerce

and Tourism.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations are made to give effect to Council Directive 80/181/EEC on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to units of measurement. The Regulations provide for the withdrawal of certain imperial and other non-SI units of measurement on enactment, and of further units at the end of 1985. They also include a list of the SI (metric) units of measurement which are authorised for use in Ireland.

5. COMPOUND UNITS

Combinations of the units named in Schedule 1 form compound units.

SCHEDULE 2.

LEGAL UNITS OF MEASUREMENT REFERRED TO IN REGULATION 4 (2).

QUANTITIES, NAMES OF UNITS, SYMBOLS AND VALUES

Quantity

Unit

Name

Symbol

Value

Blood pressure

millimetre of mercury

mm Hg

1 mm Hg = 133.322 Pa

Plane angle

g

(1)

Activity (of a radionuclide)

curie

Ci

1 Ci = 3·7 × 10

10

Bq

Absorbed dose

rad

rad

(2)

1 rad = 10

-2

Gy

Dose equivalent

rem

rem

1 rem = 10

-2

Sv

Exposure (X and y rays

röntgen

R

1 R = 2.58.10

-4

C.kg

-1

Dynamic

poise

P

1 P = 10

-1

Pa·s

viscosity

Kinematic

stokes

St

1 St = 10

-4

m ·s

-1

viscosity

(1)

Symbol for 'grade'.

(2)

When there is risk of confusion with the symbol for radian, rd may be used as symbol for rad.

Note

The prefixes and their symbols listed in 1.3 of SCHEDULE 1 may be used in conjunction with the units and symbols contained in this section, with the exception of millimetre of mercury and its symbol and the symbol 'g'.

Until the date indicated in Regulation 4 (2), the units named in Schedule 2 may be combined with each other or with those in Schedule 1 to form compound units.

SCHEDULE 3.

NATIONAL METRIC STANDARDS

Part 1

Description of national standard of the metre

The Irish copy of the international metre being a bar about 1030 millimetres long, of simple H section, 24 millimetres wide by 24 millimetres high, made of 58% nickel steel having the upper face of web in neutral plane and a polished scale engraved thereon, bearing the inscription

An Méadar Naísiunta, Eire 1969

The metre bar has also the following markings on the face

(

a

) NI 58% No. 15481 20°C

(

b

) SIP Geneve Made in Switzerland

(

c

) X NI 58% at its left extremity

(

d

) 5036 at its right extremity

Part 2

Description of national standard of the kilogram

The Irish copy of the international prototype of the kilogram being a mass of stainless steel "Immaculate V" (25% chrome, 20% nickel) in the form of a cylinder of revolution, of diameter approximately equal to its height, and has rounded edges.

It is constructed of a single polished piece, without an interior cavity or attached pieces; on the upper face is placed the following identification mark

É

1Kg

69

SCHEDULE 4

UNITS OF MEASUREMENT WHICH CEASE TO BE AUTHORISED

S.I. No. 235 of 1983.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ((UNITS OF MEASUREMENT) REGULATIONS, 1983.

I, FRANK CLUSKEY, Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by

section 3

of the

European Communities Act, 1972

(No. 27 of 1972), hereby make the following Regulations

1 Citation and Commencement.

1.

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Units of Measurement) Regulations, 1983.

(2) These Regulations will come into effect on the 1st day of November, 1983.

2 Revocation.

2.

The European Communities (Units of Measurement) Regulations, 1976, are hereby revoked.

3 Council Directive on Units of Measurement.

3.

In these Regulations "the Council Directive on units of measurement" means Council Directive No. 80/181/EEC of 20th December, 1979

1

on the approximation of the laws of the Member States of the European Communities relating to units of measurement and on the repeal of Council Directive No. 71/354/EEC of 18th October, 1971

2

.

1

O.J. No. L39, 15/2/80, p.40.

2

O.J. No. L243, 29/10/7l, p. 29.

4 Legal units of measurement.

4.

(1) The units of measurement named in Chapter I (set out in Schedule 1 of these Regulations) of the Annex to the Council Directive on units of measurement are authorised for use in the State and all units of measurement in the metric system shall be determined in accordance with that Chapter.

(2) The units of measurement named in Chapter II (set out in Schedule 2 of these Regulations) of the Annex to the Council Directive on units of measurement are authorised for use in the State until 31st December, 1985.

5 National metric standards.

5.

The national standards for the metre (the unit of measurement of length) and the kilogram (the unit of measurement of mass) are described in Schedule 3 of these Regulations and deposited in the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards. They shall be the standards by reference to which all other standards of those units and of any other unit of measurement derived wholly or partly from any of those units shall be maintained.

6 Unauthorised units of measurement.

6.

With effect from the commencement of these Regulations and subject to Regulations 7 (2), 10 and 11 (2), the units of measurement named in Schedule 4 of these Regulations shall cease to be authorised for use in the State.

7 Contravention of Regulations.

7.

(1) A person who uses any unit of measurement in contravention of Regulation 6 as applied by Regulation 11 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £800.

(2) Except in the case of a retail transaction or a transaction relating to packaged goods where an unauthorised unit of measurement is used without its metric equivalent, it shall not be unlawful to use in any transaction, by agreement between the parties thereto, any unit of measurement which was hitherto customarily used in trade in like transactions.

8 Effect on contracts.

8.

Section 19 of the Weights and Measures Act, 1878, shall cease to have effect insofar as it makes void any transaction not made according to a weight or measure to which that section refers.

9 Existing Contracts.

9.

Where a contract entered into before the commencement of these Regulations falls to be performed or to be performed partly on or after that date and the contract refers to a unit of measurement named in Schedule 4 of these Regulations, that reference shall on and after the commencement of these Regulations be deemed to be a reference to the value set out in the appropriate column of that Schedule in relation to that unit; and accordingly any calculation that has under the contract to be made by reference to that unit shall instead be made by reference to that value.

10 Use of unauthorised unit.

10.

(1) (

a

) A unit which ceases to be authorised may continue to be used as a supplementary indication accompanying an indication of quantity expressed in an authorised unit.

(

b

) The indication expressed in an authorised unit shall predominate and a supplementary indication shall be expressed in characters no larger than those of the corresponding indication in an authorised unit.

(

c

) In the case of conflict between an indication of quantity expressed in an authorised unit and a supplementary indication the latter shall be disregarded.

(2) A unit of measurement which ceases to be authorised may continue to be used for—

(

a

) products and equipment already on the market or in service on the commencement of these Regulations,

(

b

) components and parts of products and of equipment necessary to supplement or replace components or parts of the said products and equipment.

11 Application.

11.

(1) These Regulations apply to measuring instruments used, measurements made and dimensions or quantities expressed in units, whether for trade or for any economic, public health, public safety or administrative purpose in the State.

(2) These Regulations shall not affect the use in the field of air and sea transport and rail traffic of units, other than those authorised by these Regulations, which have been laid down in international conventions or agreements binding the Community or the Member States.

12 Modification of legislation.

12.

(1) The provisions of the Weights and Measures Acts, 1878 to 1961, and any other relevant enactment shall be construed together with and subject to these Regulations and, in the event of any inconsistency between these Regulations and any such provision, that provision shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, cease to have the force of law.

(2) (

a

) Every reference in any such enactment to a unit of measurement which by virtue of these Regulations ceases to be authorised shall be construed as a reference to the appropriate unit authorised by these Regulations or otherwise by law.

(

b

) Every reference in any such enactment to a measurement in a unit of measurement which by virtue of these Regulations ceases to be authorised shall be construed as a reference to the equivalent measurement in a unit authorised by these Regulations or otherwise by law.

SCHEDULE 1.

LEGAL UNITS OF MEASUREMENT REFERRED TO IN REGULATION 4 (1)