Enhancing human performance in the control room - sharing the experiences of British Energy

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Davies
Keyword(s):  
Human Performance ◽  
Control Room

Apply Performance Evaluation Matrix on Investigating Human Error Events in the Main Control Room

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tzu-Chung Yenn ◽  
Yung-Tsan Jou ◽  
Chiuhsiang Joe Lin ◽  
Wan-Shan Tsai ◽  
Tsung-Ling Hsieh
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Situation Awareness ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Human Error ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Main Stream ◽  
Control Room ◽  
Human Errors ◽  
Wrong Decision ◽  
Evaluation Matrix

Digitalized nuclear instruments and control systems have become the main stream design for the main control room (MCR) of advanced nuclear power plants (NPPs) nowadays. Digital human-system interface (HSI) could improve human performance and, on the other hand, could reduce operators’ situation awareness as well. It might cause humans making wrong decision during an emergency unintentionally. Besides, digital HSI relies on computers to integrate system information automatically instead of human operation. It has changed the operator’s role from mainly relating operational activity to mainly relating monitoring. However, if operators omit or misjudge the information on the video display units or wide display panel, the error of omission and error of commission may occur. Therefore, how to avoid and prevent human errors has become a very imperative and important issue in the nuclear safety field. This study applies Performance Evaluation Matrix to explore the potential human errors problems of the MCR. The results show that the potential problems which would probably affect to the human performance of the MCR in advanced NPPs are multiple accidents, pressure level, number of operators, and other factors such as working environmental.

Advanced Control Room Design Review Guidelines: Merging Old and New

1992 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-427
Author(s):  
Richard J. Carter ◽  
Jerry A. Wachtel
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Control Room ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Design Review ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Room Design ◽  
Advanced Control ◽  
Operator Interface

The nuclear power industry is currently developing operator interface systems based on innovative applications of digital computers. To assure that this advanced technology is incorporated in a way that maximizes the potential safety benefits of the technology and minimizes the potential negative effects on human performance, human factors principles must be considered. NUREG-0700 contains guidelines for the review of operator interfaces. However, in light of the rapid technological advances in digital technology which have taken place in the eleven years since its publication, it is no longer adequate to assess the rapidly changing human-system interfaces. A research program, the purpose of which is to upgrade NUREG-0700, has been initiated. Thus far a set of draft advanced control room design review (ACRDR) guidelines has been complied. Three tasks, which were oriented towards integrating the applicable guidelines in NUREG-0700 into the ACRDR document, are described in the paper.

scholarly journals Assessing Human Performance and Fatigue in a Control Room during ISS Operations

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Fernandes ◽  
Brit-Eli Danielsen ◽  
Hoa Thi Nguyen ◽  
Jens-Patrick Langstrand
Keyword(s):  
Human Performance ◽  
Control Room

Human Factors Research at the OECD Halden Reactor Project into the 21st Century

2000 ◽  
Vol 44 (22) ◽  
pp. 803-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Conny O. Holmstroem ◽  
Mark Green
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Process Conditions ◽  
Control Room ◽  
Energy Agency ◽  
Operating Personnel ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Human Factors Research

The OECD Halden Reactor Project is a joint undertaking of national nuclear organisations from 20 countries, who together sponsor a research programme under the auspices of the OECD - Nuclear Energy Agency. One of the Projects important research areas addresses human factors in control room design and operation. The simulator-based Halden Man-Machine Laboratory (HAMMLAB) has, since its establishment in 1983, been the main facility for conducting research in this area. It's objective is to provide knowledge for improving today's control rooms, through the introduction and evaluation of computer-based solutions for effective and safe control of the plant, across all process conditions. The laboratory facility will be introduced and the recent major upgrades, involving moving from one nuclear simulator to three full-scale simulators, plus an oil production platform simulator described. The aim of the human factors research programme itself is to provide knowledge about the capabilities and limitations of the human operators within a control room environment. Understanding the impact of new technology on operating personnel is crucial in decision-making concerning safety and efficiency for nuclear power plants. The Halden Project's new three year research programme in this area includes many aspects of human performance. The main elements of this programme will be briefly described in order to provide an overview of the breadth of the research topics currently of interest to the Projects 100 participating nuclear organisations.

Human Factors in Control Room Operations in Mineral Processing

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xilin Li ◽  
Malcolm S. Powell ◽  
Tim Horberry
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Dynamic Environment ◽  
Mineral Processing ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Control Room ◽  
Processing Plants ◽  
Operator Control ◽  
Human Factors Research

This study applied human factors research approaches to the complex and dynamic environment of mineral processing plants. In this domain, little formal human factors research has previously been undertaken, despite that human performance limitations are frequently noted as a bottleneck to effective production. This article presents a broad, operator-centered investigation on the current status of control room operations and explores the underlying barriers in the operators’ work environment. A total of 20 operators working at two types of Australian mineral processing plants were involved. Multiple data collection methods, including in situ observations and interviews, surveys, and reviews of documentation, were used. The findings revealed that operator control was essentially in a reactive mode, with operators often lacking the will or ability to engage in process optimization. A simplified work domain analysis was used to highlight the essential elements involved in operator control and to explore the gaps between the observed reactive behavior and the required proactive control employed by operators. Also, this study uncovered deficiencies in the current information and organizational environments constraining operator control ability. These deficiencies included poorly designed human-machine interface and alarms, insufficient operator training, and inappropriate task allocations. Further research for enhancing operator capacity is recommended and highlighted.

A Study on Human Reliability About Human Machine Interface in Accident Situation of Nuclear Power Plant

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengfei Gu ◽  
Zhifang Wang ◽  
Jianbo Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Human Machine Interface ◽  
Team Work ◽  
Control Room ◽  
Human Reliability ◽  
Human Reliability Analysis ◽  
Machine Interface

Recently Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) is becoming more important to the safety of nuclear power plant (NPP). As the reliability of the NPP equipments have been increased more higher, HRA should be developed in order to guarantee the better safety of NPP. By the collection of human performance about operators in main control room of NPP, especially in accident situation, it is very important to enhance the human reliability. This paper chooses Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) and Steam Generator Tube Rupture (SGTR) as the initiating events, and base on this, some loss of other equipment or system have been added. Then the process that the operators deal with the accidents has been recorded in the accident situation in order to get reasonable human performance data. After we analyzed all of these video by some tools such as eye tracking tool, some items have been found which are very important to the human reliability such as training level, operation task, human-machine interface, surrounding, team work, etc. According to the analysis of the human performance result, we have evaluated the computerized human machine interface. As a result, it also could be benefit to improve the design of NPP, specially the design of main control room.

A cognitive decomposition to empirically study human performance in control room environments

2020 ◽  
Vol 141 ◽  
pp. 102438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin M. Knisely ◽  
Janell S. Joyner ◽  
Anthony M. Rutkowski ◽  
Matthew Wong ◽  
Samuel Barksdale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Performance ◽  
Control Room

Micro Task Evaluation of Analog Vs. Digital Power Plant Control Room Interfaces

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 1349-1353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Hildebrandt ◽  
Alexandra Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Measurement Methods ◽  
Control Room ◽  
Analog Control ◽  
Power Plant Control ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
And Training ◽  
Plant Control

There is a need for efficient and transparent human performance measurement methods to support interface evaluation for control room modernization projects. This paper presents experiences from the second pilot test of a micro task method developed to support this need. We benchmarked performance with analog control boards in a nuclear power plant control room simulator against performance with a modern overview display. Within 2.5 hours of simulator time and with 16 licensed operators as participants, we collected data for 1152 micro task questions, recording response time and accuracy for each question. The paper describes the study methodology and results, and draws conclusions about the future use of the micro task method for evaluation and training.

Task Analysis in Designing the Control Room of Nuclear Power Plant and Safety Reviewing

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Feng ◽  
Liang Li ◽  
Jingbin Liu ◽  
Ning Qiao ◽  
Yinhui Guo
Keyword(s):  
Sequence Analysis ◽  
Interface Design ◽  
Task Analysis ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Hazard Identification ◽  
Information Control ◽  
Control Room ◽  
Task Support ◽  
And Task

Task analysis identifies the specific tasks needed to accomplish human actions, and the information, control and task support required to complete those tasks. In the control room design, the functions allocated to personnel shall be performed analysis, and it is identified that the specific task can be accomplished by the personnel. Task analysis can provide one of the bases for the human system interface design decisions; match human performance requirements with human capabilities; provide input to procedure development and provide input to staffing, training, and communications requirements of the plant. The method about task analysis and the screening methodology used to select the tasks for analysis are very important. Usually, the scope of task analysis is divided into two complementary activities: function-based task analysis and traditional task analysis, or operational sequence analysis. Function-based task analysis is the functional decomposition (goal-means analysis) for normal power operations. The traditional task analysis, or operational sequence analysis is developed for a representative set of operational and maintenance tasks. The operational sequence analysis include OSA-1 and OSA-2.The task analysis considers alerts, such as alarms and warnings, decision-making, response, teamwork and communication, workload task support, workplace factors, situational and performance shaping factors and hazard identification. The paper also describes the selected basis of selecting the operational sequence to be analyzed in the operational sequence analysis. The method about task analysis and the screening methodology used to select the tasks for analysis are very important. The objective of task analysis review is to verify that the applicant undertook analyses identifying the specific tasks needed to accomplish personnel functions, and also the alarms, information, control- and task-support required to complete those duties. The paper mainly describes not only the above content, but also the reviewing work about task analysis and questions found in reviewing. In this article, there are some examples about the function-based task analysis. At last, the verification for task analysis is addressed simply.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Human Performance between Operators of a Main Control Room in the SMR

2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-37
Author(s):  
Eun Mee Heo ◽  
Seong Nam Byun ◽  
Hong Joon Park ◽  
Geun Ok Park
Keyword(s):  
Human Performance ◽  
Control Room
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