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Part II
Human Factors and saucer Salty:
Au Agenda for Research
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Human Factors and Nuclear Safely:
An Agenda for Research
The pane} recommends a general agenda of research on the
human factors issues involved in the safety of nuclear reactors.
Topics In major areas of needed research are described in sufficient
detail to illustrate approaches that may be taken in each of them.
The panel has made no attempt to develop a detailed program
plan, schedule, or budget. That responsibility more properly rests
with the manager of the NRC human factors research program
and the nuclear industry. We do, however, attempt to place the
topics in an overall sociotechnical context of nuclear reactor safety
and to provide guidance for the management of a human factors
research program needed to address the problems that exist within
this context.
In setting out to develop a research agenda, the pane! consid-
ered whether to concentrate on existing or future plants. There
was a great temptation to concentrate on future plants because
the application of human factors technology is most cost-effective
if it begins in the earliest stages of the design of a plant. How-
ever, because the likelihood of new plant construction within the
U.S. in the next decade is low, the pane! decided to concentrate
on research applicable to existing plants and their potential life
extension. As recent incidents continue to point out (e.g., Davis
Besse tNUREG-1154, 1985h], Rancho Seco tNUREG-1195, 1985g],
San Onofre [NUREG-1190, 1985i]), the human interaction with
the technical system is an important factor in the safety of to-
day's plants. In addition, there are potent factors that can and
43
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44
will produce change in human-related aspects of the nuclear power
plant. These factors include changes In technology due to systems
obsolescence and replacement, changes in the technology baseline
(the capabilities of affordable computer-based systems has dra-
matically increased in the last five years), regulatory forces, and
cost or insurance benefit justification.
The pane! also recognized that, to be manageable, the scope
of its study would have to be limited. Therefore, we decided to
restrict our attention to human factors research on commercial
nuclear power reactor systems without considering other related
human factors issues concerned with radioactive waste transporta-
tion or disposal, waste site management, fuel inventory manage-
ment, quality control in plant construction, and the safeguarding
of nuclear power plants from insider threats, sabotage, or terrorist
attacks.
In the judgment of the panel, human factors research is re-
quired in five general areas: human-system interface design, the
personnel subsystem, human performance, management and or-
ganization, and the regulatory or environmental context. Each of
these five areas includes a number of research topics, some of which
have been identified as being of higher priority. The specific re-
search issues involved in each proposed research topic are elements
that are judged to be necessary to improve design, performance,
operations, maintenance, and regulation of plants. To provide an-
swers to important questions, the proposed research program must
operate coherently for an extended period rather than jump about
in response to each new unmediate external demand. Continuity
of research is deemed essential to a productive program.
The pane} followed three criteria in detertn~ning the higher
priority research topics. First, some research topics may have a
critical impact on safety and thus should be addressed immedi-
ately. Second, In some areas research is needed as a basis for
evaluation of innovation expected in the near term. For example,
in the very near term it is likely that the NRC will be asked to
rule on the acceptability of employing computer-based decision
systems in nuclear power plants; research on some topics is essen-
tial to provide a sound basis for making these decisions. Third,
a particular research topic may be an essential building block for
longer-term progress and to resolve future issues. An example of
this is research on the development of causal models of human
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error that will increase the ability to make more accurate predic-
tions of the conditions under which it could occur. Progress in this
area will require several years' effort but wiD have a broad impact
on all aspects of nuclear power plant safety - regulation, design,
operation, and maintenance.
During the period in which the initial research studies are con-
ducted, the NRC, together with the advisory assistance described
in Chapter Two (A Commitment to Research section), should
review the broader scope of research suggested by the topics de-
scribed in this report and should develop an ongoing program
plan to include those additional topics the pane} has identified
as program elements, which are not already being investigated.
Funding should be allocated for research that becomes urgent due
to unforeseen circumstances in such a way that the systematic
research program continues without significant interruption. It
is most unportant to note that in all cases we believe that re-
search should be directed at management, maintenance, and other
support activities in addition to operation in the control room.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
issues involved
