Developing Human Performance Measures (PSAM-0207) (original) (raw)
Related papers
Through the reactor oversight process (ROP), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) monitors the performance of utilities licensed to operate nuclear power plants. The process is designed to assure public health and safety by providing reasonable assurance that licensees are meeting the cornerstones of safety and designated crosscutting elements. The reactor inspection program, together with performance indicators (PIs), and enforcement activities form the basis for the NRC's risk-informed, performance based regulatory framework.
Modeling and simulation approaches to developing human performance measures in nuclear industry
2007 IEEE 8th Human Factors and Power Plants and HPRCT 13th Annual Meeting, 2007
Human performance is a key component to the safe operation of nuclear power plants. Further, human performance is quite variable, and while some variability may be random, much of it may be attributed to factors that are difficult to assess. There is a need to identify and assess aspects of human performance that relate to plant safety and to develop measures that can be used to successfully assess human performance for purposes of research that can lead to technical basis for developing human factors review criteria.
Human Performance Characterization in the Reactor Oversight Process
A review of the Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) and its characterization of human performance was performed by the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) to describe the means by which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) monitors, analyzes and feeds back information on human performance. Review of detailed human performance findings and trends observed in 37 operating events identified through the Accident Sequence Precursor (ASP) program served as the sample of operating experience. All events reviewed had a conditional core damage probability of 1.0E-5 or greater and indicated the influence of human performance. Reviews also considered Individual Plant Examinations (IPEs) and Augmented Inspection Team (AIT) reports. These reviews were then compared to ROP source materials. The ROP source materials included SECY-99-007/007A, SECY-00-0049, NRC manual chapters and inspection procedures, inspection and supplementary inspection reports, plant issues matrices (PIMs) risk-informed inspection notebooks, and the Significance Determination Process (SDP) for Operator Requalification. Insights regarding the characterization of human performance in the ROP are presented.
INPO’s approach to human performance in the United States commercial nuclear power industry
2007
Strategically, INPO’s approach to human performance in commercial nuclear power stations encompasses two elements: 1) reduce the frequency of events triggered by human error, and 2) minimize the severity of human performance events that still occur. The frequency of events is primarily reduced by anticipating, preventing, and catching active errors at the job site during work execution, which involves three phases: 1) work preparation, 2) work performance, and 3) work feedback. During work execution, the human performance objective is to anticipate, prevent, or catch active errors, especially at critical steps, where error- free performance is absolutely necessary. The severity of events is minimized by verifying the integrity and robustness of defenses. Lines of defense are scrutinized aggressively through ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and correction. Defenses against human error and its consequences involve four primary lines of defense to improve station resilience: 1) engineered controls, 2) administrative controls, 3) cultural controls, and 4) oversight controls. This paper describes INPO’s risk-based approach to human performance- reducing error during work execution and managing defense-in-depth.
Human Factors Considerations in New Nuclear Power Plants: Detailed Analysis
2008
This Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) sponsored study has identified human performance research that may be needed to support the review of a licensee's implementation of new technology in nuclear power plants. To identify the research issues, current industry developments and trends were evaluated in the areas of reactor technology, instrumentation and control technology, human-system integration technology, and human factors engineering (HFE) methods and tools. The research issues were organized into seven high-level HFE topic areas: Role of Personnel and Automation, Staffing and Training, Normal Operations Management, Disturbance and Emergency Management, Maintenance and Change Management, Plant Design and Construction, and HFE Methods and Tools. The issues were then prioritized into four categories using a "Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table" methodology based on evaluations provided by 14 independent subject matter experts. The subject matter experts were knowledgeable in a variety of disciplines. Vendors, utilities, research organizations and regulators all participated. Twenty issues were categorized into the top priority category. This Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) technical report provides the detailed methodology, issue analysis, and results. A summary of the results of this study can be found in NUREG/CR-6947. The information gathered in this project can serve as input to the development of a long-term strategy and plan for addressing human performance in these areas through regulatory research. Addressing human-performance issues will provide the technical basis from which regulatory review guidance can be developed.
A Framework for Human Performance Criteria for Advanced Reactor Operational Concepts
2014
This report presents research results from the review and investigation of open source material supporting the development of Operational Concepts for Advanced Reactors, including guidance for Operational Concepts and relevant human performance criteria models and frameworks. Advanced reactors will use advanced digital instrumentation and control systems, optimize use of automation and passive components, and integrate new design configurations. When compared with current reactor designs, the emerging designs will have different allocation of functions, new operator roles and responsibilities, as well as different requirements for operator knowledge, skills, and abilities, all of which will lead to new operational concepts. Many of these emergent designs are first of a kind (FOAK) and will require up-to-date human factors techniques such as work domain analysis, cognitive task analysis and human performance modeling. Many emerging concepts are speculative and will remain so until empirical research data become available to support the development of sound technical bases, for example, expected shifts in workload, situation awareness, human reliability, staffing levels, and the appropriate allocation of functions between the crew and various plant systems that are likely to be highly automated. This research has extrapolated the effect of these concepts from existing sources including other domains that have experienced a shift toward automation. Existing human factors standards and regulatory guidance such as NUREG-0711 [10] and NUREG-0700 [9] do not completely address the role of automation or changes that are associated with FOAK. The standards and guidance allow for the integration of operating experience in the design and review process, however, save for the experience with sodium reactors gained at EBR-II, there is little operating experience to include in the genesis of a framework for advanced operational concepts. The objective of this research is to establish the technical basis for human performance criteria frameworks, models, and guidance for operational concepts for advanced reactor designs. This work recognizes and accounts for predicted non-traditional operational concepts, staffing requirements, level of automation and changes in the allocation of functions to human and system agents. This report includes the following important research areas: (1) operating principles for advanced reactors, (2) human performance issues and the requirements for human performance based upon previous work domain analysis and current regulatory requirements, and (4) consideration for the development of general human performance criteria. To inform the required analysis, this report draws from available information on two advanced reactor designs, namely sodium fast reactors (SFRs) and high temperature gas reactors (HTGRs) as a starting point from which to build a framework. The major findings and key observations to date are that some operating experience from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II), a best-case predecessor design, helps to inform operational concepts for the baseline designs, Sodium Fast Reactors (SFR) and High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HGTRs). These are not mainstream designs and operating experience with digital control of these systems and other technology advancements are not available, which makes the development of human performance criteria and operational concepts all the more challenging.
Applying a new human factor tool in the nuclear energy industry
Safety Science, 2017
Aim: Nuclear regulations demand that human contribution is included in the reporting and analysis of operational events (OE), but this topic is not actively studied. We studied current human factor (HF) procedures in nuclear OE reporting and analysis, and tested a new HF tool for OE analysis. Methods: We modified an HF tool for nuclear purposes. Safety experts (n = 8) from two nuclear power companies (NPC) tested the HF tool in a workshop investigating three OEs. We interviewed the safety experts and managers (n = 20) of the two NPCs, to evaluate the current HF practices and the output of the OE analysis with the new HF tool. We also analysed the documentation. Results: The study revealed that currently, the reporting and analysis of OE focuses mainly on technical and risk aspects, and HF is not very concrete. The new HF tool offered a more accurate picture of the analysed OEs and HFs affecting OEs including the successes, than current OE analysis methods. The users found the HF tool clear and easy to use, useful for investigation, training and self-evaluation, and for monitoring safety trends. Discussion: NPCs are aware of the need and usefulness of HF thinking, but HFs in OE reporting and analysis still need to be concretized. Development needs include further modification and validation of the tool, and planning of future implementation at NPCs and in the nuclear industry. Conclusions: HF competence and implementation has to be improved, as stressed in the nuclear safety regulation.
Human factors considerations with respect to emerging technology in nuclear power plants
2008
This Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) sponsored study has identified human performance research that may be needed to support the review of a licensee's implementation of new technology in nuclear power plants. To identify the research issues, current industry developments and trends were evaluated in the areas of reactor technology, instrumentation and control technology, human-system integration technology, and human factors engineering (HFE) methods and tools. The research issues were organized into seven high-level HFE topic areas: Role of Personnel and Automation, Staffing and Training, Normal Operations Management, Disturbance and Emergency Management, Maintenance and Change Management, Plant Design and Construction, and HFE Methods and Tools. The issues were then prioritized into four categories using a "Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table" methodology based on evaluations provided by 14 independent subject matter experts. The subject matter experts were knowledgeable in a variety of disciplines. Vendors, utilities, research organizations and regulators all participated. Twenty issues were categorized into the top priority category. This Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) technical report provides the detailed methodology, issue analysis, and results. A summary of the results of this study can be found in NUREG/CR-6947. The information gathered in this project can serve as input to the development of a long-term strategy and plan for addressing human performance in these areas through regulatory research. Addressing human-performance issues will provide the technical basis from which regulatory review guidance can be developed.
The global concerns about safety in the digital technology of the main control room (MCR) are growing as domestic and foreign nuclear power plants are developed with computerized control facilities and human-system interfaces. In a narrow space, the digital technology contributes to a control room environment, which can facilitate the acquisition of all the information needed for operation. Thus, although an individual performance of the advanced MCR can be further improved; there is a limit in expecting an improvement in team performance. The team performance depends on organic coherence as a whole team rather than on the knowledge and skill of an individual operator. Moreover, a good team performance improves communication between and within teams in an efficient manner, and then it can be conducive to addressing unsafe conditions. Respecting this, it is important and necessary to develop methodological technology for the evaluation of operators' teamwork or collaboration, thus enhancing operational performance in nuclear power plant at the MCR.