A task analysis-linked approach for integrating the human factor in reliability assessments of nuclear power plants

Research of psychological characteristics and performance relativity of operators

Research on task analysis and human performance has focused on the development of adequate tools, models, and methods to understand, analyze, and improve the relationship between humans and systems...

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0037549717711270

UTASiMo: a simulation-based tool for task analysis:

Team skills training

The basic requirements of control and instrumentation (C & I) for large nuclear power stations are reviewed with special reference to the advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) and the pressurised water reactor (PWR), emphasising current developments and trends rather than established techniques. The extensive instrumentation, now provided for condition monitoring, particularly of the chemistry of both primary circuit coolant and the secondary steam and water circuits, is reviewed, and the way some of this instrumentation provides indication of failure of boiler tubes and fuel element cladding in AGRs is described. The power station is controlled automatically by a series of closed-loop controllers, and the current trend is discussed of employing direct digital control with redundancy, when it is justified to meet reliability requirements. However, the need for an effective operator interface is regarded as most important, and the current increased concern about ergonomics is identified, particularly in the design of the main control room, with a strong emphasis on formalised design procedures and reviews of existing designs. The increased use of computer-based techniques for control, protection, interlocks, alarm handling and display and data processing is discussed with special refer-ence to the use of colour visual-display units for data and alarm display. The special problems of high integrity applications, with the need for special design and validation of software, and the basic components of computer systems are described, and the current trend towards distributed systems and high-level user-orientated computer-programming languages is identified. Reliability aspects of C & I systems are discussed, including estimation, correlation with field experience and consideration of common mode effects. The need for evaluation and type testing and its cost are discussed and the results of such testing are reported. The overall structure of national and international C & I standards is described. The organisation and management of a C & I design group is discussed, and the requirements for a systems approach are identified with the use of a matrix structure in a multiproject environment. The rapid obsolescence of modern electronic equipment is discussed and the need for total life cycle support considerations to be incorporated in the design of both hardware and software is identified. An indication is given of current trends in instrumentation, computers and the improvement of operator interface systems.

Control and instrumentation of large nuclear power stations a review of future trends

A task analysis of nuclear-power-plant control-room crews was performed by General Physics Corporation and BioTechnology, Inc., for the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. The task analysis methodology used in the project is discussed and compared to traditional task-analysis and job-analysis methods. The objective of the project was to conduct a crew task analysis that would provide data for evaluating six areas: (1) human engineering design of control rooms and retrofitting of current control roooms, (2) the numbers and types of control room operators needed with requisite skills and knowledge, (3) operator qualification and training requirements, (4) normal, off-normal, and emergency operating procedures, (5) job performance aids, and (6) communications. The data collection approach focused on a generic structural framework for assembling the multitude of task data that were observed. The results of the data-collection effort were compiled in a computerized task database. Results including a description of the computerized task analysis data format.

Task analysis of nuclear-power-plant control-room crews

A task analysis of nuclear-power-plant control-room crews was performed by General Physics Corporation and BioTechnology, Inc., for the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. The task-analysis methodology used in the project is discussed and compared to traditional task-analysis and job-analysis methods. The objective of the project was to conduct a crew task analysis that would provide data for evaluating six areas: (1) human-engineering design of control rooms and retrofitting of current control rooms; (2) the numbers and types of control-room operators needed with requisite skills and knowledge; (3) operator qualification and training requirements; (4) normal, off-normal, and emergency operating procedures; (5) job-performance aids; and (6) communications. The data-collection approach focused on a generic structural framework for assembling the multitude of task data that were observed. The results of the data-collection effort were compiled in a coputerized task database. Six demonstrations for suitability analysis were subsequently conducted in each of the above areas and are described in this report.

D. Burgy

Papers

Task analysis of nuclear-power-plant control-room crews

Task analysis of nuclear-power-plant control-room crews: project approach methodology