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

Author(s):  
Tzu-Chung Yenn ◽  
Yung-Tsan Jou ◽  
Chiuhsiang Joe Lin ◽  
Wan-Shan Tsai ◽  
Tsung-Ling Hsieh

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.

2011 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yung-Tsan Jou ◽  
Tzu-Chung Yenn ◽  
Chiuhsiang Joe Lin ◽  
Wan-Shan Tsai ◽  
Tsung-Ling Hsieh

Author(s):  
Wang Jun-bo ◽  
Yang Kun-ze ◽  
Zhang Yu-xin ◽  
Hidekazu Yoshikawa

With the rapid development of digitalized technology, adoption of advanced Main Control Room (RCM) in Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) has become an inevitable trend. However, the Human Machine Interface (HMI) and Man-machine Interaction (MMI) based on digitalized technologies will also introduce new types of human error and new risks into main control room. Traditional human error analysis is based on post-test interview and questionnaire survey which suffers from difficulty in backtracking the experiment for tracing to source of human errors of operators. This paper presents an experimental research on utilizing an eye tracking device for studying the characteristics of operators during they interact with NPP through HMIs by soft control. The presented approach can also be applied for the statistics of human errors and analysis of causes which will useful for the Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA), improvement of HMI design and operator training.


Author(s):  
Maggie Kirkwood

The nuclear industry is entering into a generation in which Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) could provide solutions to the worlds future energy needs. New technology and operations will be associated with new Human Factors (HF) design challenges. Operators may be faced with a higher cognitive workloads while monitoring several reactor units at once from a central main control room (MCR), or when monitoring units remotely. Automated processes may be implemented to mitigate human error, however may also result in a reduced sense of operator awareness in situations where operators fail to develop an accurate mental model of plant status. The present article highlights design recommendations that should be considered during the early stages of SMR MCR design to optimize human performance. Also discussed is the potential applications of eye tracking, and virtual reality (VR) to inform designers on best practices in display design and control room environments, respectively.


Author(s):  
B. J. KIM ◽  
RAM R. BISHU

Human error is regarded as a critical factor in catastrophic accidents such as disasters at nuclear power plants, air plane crashes, or derailed trains. Several taxonomies for human errors and methodologies for human reliability analysis (HRA) have been proposed in the literature. Generally, human errors have been modeled on the basis of probabilistic concepts with or without the consideration of cognitive aspects of human behaviors. Modeling of human errors through probabilistic approaches has shown a limitation on quantification of qualitative aspects of human errors and complexity of attributes from circumstances involved. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the methodologies for human reliability analysis and introduce a fuzzy logic approach to the evaluation of human interacting system's reliability. Fuzzy approach could be used to estimate human error effects under ambiguous interacting environments and assist in the design of error free work environments.


Author(s):  
Caroline Morais ◽  
Raphael Moura ◽  
Michael Beer ◽  
Edoardo Patelli

Abstract Risk analyses require proper consideration and quantification of the interaction between humans, organization, and technology in high-hazard industries. Quantitative human reliability analysis approaches require the estimation of human error probabilities (HEPs), often obtained from human performance data on different tasks in specific contexts (also known as performance shaping factors (PSFs)). Data on human errors are often collected from simulated scenarios, near-misses report systems, and experts with operational knowledge. However, these techniques usually miss the realistic context where human errors occur. The present research proposes a realistic and innovative approach for estimating HEPs using data from major accident investigation reports. The approach is based on Bayesian Networks used to model the relationship between performance shaping factors and human errors. The proposed methodology allows minimizing the expert judgment of HEPs, by using a strategy that is able to accommodate the possibility of having no information to represent some conditional dependencies within some variables. Therefore, the approach increases the transparency about the uncertainties of the human error probability estimations. The approach also allows identifying the most influential performance shaping factors, supporting assessors to recommend improvements or extra controls in risk assessments. Formal verification and validation processes are also presented.


Author(s):  
Christian Hessler ◽  
Tobias Scharf

Screen-based human-machine interfaces, having been standard for many years in most process industries, are now also well acknowledged in the main control room of nuclear power plants. Being a standard feature of digital I&C systems, they offer significant benefits and interesting options for control room design, but also constitute challenges for the designer. Attractive opportunities for the designer and operator are for example the minimization of equipment, compared to design of hardwired panels, the reduction of cabling and cable separation issues, the flexibility and increased possibility for customization to specific utilities and operator needs. However, this flexibility brings also new challenges to the design, for new builds as well as for plant modernization projects, such as ensuring overall situation awareness of the operator, in spite the intrinsically serial character of information presentation, and the need to integrate different, even diverse digital human-machine interfaces of the safety and non-safety I&C systems. The reference concept of AREVA NP for all projects involving control room design relies on an overall I&C architecture, based on the TELEPERM XS for safety I&C systems, and Siemens SPPA T2000. SPPA T2000’s OM690 screen-based monitoring and control system is used as the integrated main operator interface, supporting plant operation in all plant states. Additionally control boards are used to implement a separate safety panel satisfying nuclear safety qualification requirements. These components are used to tailor the design of main control room, remote shut-down stations and local control stations, in accordance with licensing requirements, utility expectations and operating staff needs.


2011 ◽  
Vol 121-126 ◽  
pp. 4156-4160
Author(s):  
Shou Yu Cheng ◽  
Xin Kai Liu ◽  
Min Jun Peng

The Human Machine Interface (HMI) of Monitor& Control System (MCS) is an important part of main control room in Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). The MCS is integrated by networks, digital computers and computer software. The paper discusses a new design mode for the HMI of MCS in Nuclear Power Plants. How to make the MCS information available is the focus of the HMI research. The paper discusses the design and research about the main layout and functions of the HMI. In order to verify and validate the design of HMI, the HMI of MCS is developed by a configuration software of JADE. HMI debugged with the NPP simulator. The Test illustrates that the HMI can help the operators to get very important information from MCS, which help the operators to operate the nuclear plant safely and reduces the human error.


Author(s):  
Conny O. Holmstroem ◽  
Mark Green

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.


Aviation ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana P. G. MARTINS

Even considering the current low accident rate in aviation, the anticipated growth in the number of airplanes in the air in the next decades will lead to an inadmissible rise in the number of accidents. These have been mostly attributed to human error and a misunderstanding of automation by the crew, especially during periods of high workload and stress in the cockpit. Therefore, increased safety requires not only advances in technology, but improved cockpit design including better human-machine interface. These cannot be achieved however, without considering some of the cognitive constructs that affect the behaviour of pilots in the cockpit. In fact, given its characteristics and public visibility, the flight deck of commercial jets is one of the most common arenas for the study of complex and skilled human performance. Here I present a literature review on the selected topics of workload, situation awareness, stress and automation in the cockpit, with the goal of supporting the development of new technologies.


Author(s):  
Harold P. Van Cott

Health care delivery is viewed as a complex, people-intensive system whose reliability depends on human performance. Examples of the human errors that occur in health care are described, and human factors interventions and remedies that might be taken to improve reliability and safety are suggested.


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