Human Factor Approaches for the Enhancement of Nuclear Control Rooms

1981 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-12
Author(s):  
Steven M. Pine
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Human Engineering ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Nuclear Control ◽  
Control Rooms ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Display Systems

The accident at Three Mile Island (TMI) has underscored the need for human factors review and analysis of Nuclear Control Rooms. Virtually every study of the TMI debacle has come to the conclusion that one of the major contributors of the accident was poor human engineering. In recognition of this fact, the nuclear industry, through its research institutes, has initiated a series of research programs designed to provide individual utilities with guidelines on how to apply human factors principles and criteria to improve the safety and performance of their nuclear facilities. The present paper reports on one of the major studies being undertaken by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in the area. The objective of this research project is to identify and prioritize the existing Human Engineering Discrepancies (HEDs) in nuclear control rooms and to develop retrofits for correcting these HEDs that can be implemented during normal plant operation or during planned outages. Data was collected during one week visits to five power plants. Structured interviews, checklists, task analyses, surveys (noise, light, etc.) and procedural walk-throughs/talk-throughs were employed to assess the design and layout of the control rooms. In depth analyses of these data led to the identification of numerous HEDs. A prioritization scheme was developed to determine the relative seriousness of these HEDs and to rank alternative retrofit solutions in terms of cost and feasibility. The results revealed fairly wide variance in the extent to which control rooms violate human factors principles. The most frequent areas in which violations were found are labeling, alarm/display systems, functional grouping, design conventions, and anthropometric limits. Numerous HEDs along with alternative retrofits are shown and discussed. Emphasis is given to cost and engineering consideration in selecting appropriate backfits.

scholarly journals Importance of Advanced Planning of Manufacturing for Nuclear Industry

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 42-49
Author(s):  
Nick Shykinov ◽  
Robert Rulko ◽  
Dariusz Mroz
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
Pressure Vessels ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Project Schedule ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Project Completion ◽  
Advanced Planning ◽  
And Performance

Abstract In the context of energy demands by growing economies, climate changes, fossil fuel pricing volatility, and improved safety and performance of nuclear power plants, many countries express interest in expanding or acquiring nuclear power capacity. In the light of the increased interest in expanding nuclear power the supply chain for nuclear power projects has received more attention in recent years. The importance of the advanced planning of procurement and manufacturing of components of nuclear facilities is critical for these projects. Many of these components are often referred to as long-lead items. They may be equipment, products and systems that are identified to have a delivery time long enough to affect directly the overall timing of a project. In order to avoid negatively affecting the project schedule, these items may need to be sourced out or manufactured years before the beginning of the project. For nuclear facilities, long-lead items include physical components such as large pressure vessels, instrumentation and controls. They may also mean programs and management systems important to the safety of the facility. Authorized nuclear operator training, site evaluation programs, and procurement are some of the examples. The nuclear power industry must often meet very demanding construction and commissioning timelines, and proper advanced planning of the long-lead items helps manage risks to project completion time. For nuclear components there are regulatory and licensing considerations that need to be considered. A national nuclear regulator must be involved early to ensure the components will meet the national legal regulatory requirements. This paper will discuss timing considerations to address the regulatory compliance of nuclear long-lead items.

scholarly journals An Approach to Analyze Diagnosis Errors in Advanced Main Control Room Operations Using the Cause-Based Decision Tree Method

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3832
Author(s):  
Awwal Mohammed Arigi ◽  
Gayoung Park ◽  
Jonghyun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Decision Tree ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Human Error ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Emergency Operation ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Control Rooms ◽  
Diagnosis Errors

Advancements in the nuclear industry have led to the development of fully digitized main control rooms (MCRs)—often termed advanced MCRs—for newly built nuclear power plants (NPPs). Diagnosis is a major part of the cognitive activity in NPP MCRs. Advanced MCRs are expected to improve the working environment and reduce human error, especially during the diagnosis of unexpected scenarios. However, with the introduction of new types of tasks and errors by digital MCRs, a new method to analyze the diagnosis errors in these new types of MCRs is required. Task analysis for operator diagnosis in an advanced MCR based on emergency operation was performed to determine the error modes. The cause-based decision tree (CBDT) method—originally developed for analog control rooms—was then revised to a modified CBDT (MCBDT) based on the error mode categorizations. This work examines the possible adoption of the MCBDT method for the evaluation of diagnosis errors in advanced MCRs. We have also provided examples of the application of the proposed method to some common human failure events in emergency operations. The results show that with some modifications of the CBDT method, the human reliability in advanced MCRs can be reasonably estimated.

Human Factors Goes to the Polls: The Voting Process as a Man-Machine System

1977 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 545-547
Author(s):  
Tyler Blake
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Systems Analysis ◽  
Voter Behavior ◽  
Human Engineering ◽  
Machine System ◽  
Factors Analysis ◽  
Points Of Interest ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Critical Aspects ◽  
Human Factors Analysis

With the advent of voting machines and computers, the voting process has evolved into a complex man-machine system. However, to date no comprehensive human factors analysis of the voting process has been conducted. A systems analysis of the voting process yielded four major functions which impact critically on voter behavior and performance: (a) Design of voting instructions (b) Display of crucial voting information (c) Human engineering of voting equipment and procedures (d) Distribution of voting machines and personnel across and within voting districts. Some critical aspects of each area are discussed, and some additional points of interest to human factors specialists interested in researching this area are mentioned.

Transitioning Nuclear Power Plant Main Control Room From Paper Based Procedures to Computer Based Procedures

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 1605-1609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Lew ◽  
Ronald L. Boring ◽  
Thomas A. Ulrich
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Hybrid Control ◽  
The United States ◽  
Maintenance Cost ◽  
Human Errors ◽  
Nuclear Control ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Control Rooms ◽  
Analog Systems

The United States (U.S.) has 99 operating Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). The majority of these were designed and commissioned in the 1970s and 1980s. Plants are modernizing their control systems and main control rooms to be able to continue operating past their original 40-year license agreements. U.S. NPP main control rooms are migrating towards hybrid controls with both digital and analog systems. Digital upgrades, while costly, provide improved reliability, reduced maintenance cost, and the potential for fewer unplanned outages and fewer human errors. U.S. utilities have been slow to embrace computerized procedure system (CBP) research, even though CBPs demonstrate clear operational and human factors benefits. Most of the CBP research has been oriented to new reactor designs or full digital control rooms and is not applicable to the piecemeal modernization approach favored by U.S. plants. Research is needed to examine how CBPs impact operations in hybrid control rooms, and how current paper based procedures can be efficiently migrated to computerized platforms. Work is underway to develop tools and perform the obligatory research needed to design and validate CBPs for modernized U.S. nuclear control rooms.

scholarly journals IEEE Human Factors Standards for Nuclear Facilities: The Development Process, Available Standards, Current Activities, and the Future

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 587-591
Author(s):  
David R Desaulniers ◽  
Stephen Fleger
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Interface Design ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
And Control

Since 1980 the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has supported development of human factors (HF) standards. Within IEEE, Subcommittee 5 (SC5) of the Nuclear Power Engineering Committee develops and maintains HF standards applicable to nuclear facilities. These standards are structured in a hierarchical fashion. The top-level standard (IEEE Std. 1023) defines the HF tasks required to support the integration of human performance into the design process. Five lower tier documents (IEEE Std. 845, 1082, 1289, 1786 and 1707) expand upon the upper tier standard. Presently, two new HF standards projects are underway; one to provide HF guidance for the validation of the system interface design and integrated systems operation and another for designing and developing computer-based displays for monitoring and control of nuclear facilities. SC5 is also involved in outreach activities, including sponsorship of a series of conferences on human factors and nuclear power plants.

Making the Optimal Decsion in Selecting Protective Clothing

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Mark Price
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Protective Clothing ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Optimal Decision ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Repair Work ◽  
Security Personnel ◽  
Single Use ◽  
Personnel Safety

Protective Clothing plays a major role in the decommissioning and operation of nuclear facilities. Literally thousands of employee dress-outs occur over the life of a decommissioning project and during outages at operational plants. In order to make the optimal decision on which type of protective clothing is best suited for the decommissioning or maintenance and repair work on radioactive systems, a number of interrelating factors must be considered, including: – Protection; – Personnel Contamination; – Cost; – Radwaste; – Comfort; – Convenience; – Logistics/Rad Material Considerations; – Reject Rate of Laundered Clothing; – Durability; – Security; – Personnel Safety including Heat Stress; – Disposition of Gloves and Booties. In addition, over the last several years there has been a trend of nuclear power plants either running trials or switching to Single Use Protective Clothing (SUPC) from traditional protective clothing. In some cases, after trial usage of SUPC, plants have chosen not to switch. In other cases after switching to SUPC for a period of time, some plants have chosen to switch back to laundering. Based on these observations, this paper reviews the “real” drivers, issues, and interrelating factors regarding the selection and use of protective clothing throughout the nuclear industry.

scholarly journals Enabling Business-Driven Innovation Through Human Factors Engineering In Nuclear Power Plants

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 1790-1794
Author(s):  
Casey R. Kovesdi ◽  
Katya Le Blanc
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Human Factors ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Human Factors Engineering ◽  
The People ◽  
Industry Needs

For existing United States nuclear power plant fleet to remain economically viable, the nuclear industry needs to fundamentally change the way in which these plants are operated, maintained, and supported. A digital transformation is a key strategy to address this challenge. Though, guidance in this area is a continued effort. One framework to support innovation in the nuclear industry has taken a broader perspective by focusing on how technology can be used to meet specific business needs and work for the people and processes at hand. This work discusses the role and value of human factors engineering within this nuclear innovation framework. Human factors methods are presented here regarding how they address the phases of nuclear innovation. This work seeks to describe how human factors can be applied in nuclear innovation by strengthening the alignment of technology, people, processes, and regulations such that the needs of the business is addressed.

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