Development of a qualitative evaluation framework for performance shaping factors (PSFs) in advanced MCR HRA

Abstract

Human reliability analysis (HRA) is performed as part of the probabilistic risk assessment to identify and quantify human actions and the associated impacts on structures, systems, and components of complex facilities. In performing HRA, conditions that influence human performance have been analyzed in terms of several context factors. These context factors, which are called performance shaping factors (PSFs) are used to adjust the basic human error probability (BHEP), and PSFs have been derived in various ways depending on the HRA methods used. As the design of instrumentation and control (I&C) systems for nuclear power plants (NPPs) is rapidly moving toward fully digital I&C, and modern computer techniques have been gradually introduced into the design of advanced main control room (MCR), computer-based human-system interfaces (HSIs), such as CRT-based displays, large display panels (LDPs), advanced information systems, soft control, and computerized procedure system (CPS) will be applied in advanced MCR. Environmental changes in MCR have some implications for PSFs, and they have an influence on when PSFs should be applied in HRA because different situations might induce different internal or external factors which can lead to human errors. In this study, PSFs for advanced MCR HRA are derived, and a new qualitative evaluation framework for these PSFs is suggested. First, PSFs from various HRA methods are collected, and these PSFs are further grouped into PSFs categories to be used in advanced MCR HRA. Second, human factor (HF) issues in advanced MCR are analyzed and derived to be used as an evaluation framework for PSFs. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.