A framework of human reliability analysis method considering soft control in digital main control rooms

Abstract

The operation environment of Main Control Rooms (MCRs) in Nuclear Power Plants has changed with the adoption of new human-system interfaces that are based on computer-based technologies. The MCRs that include these digital and computer technologies are called Advanced MCRs. Among the many features of Advanced MCRs, soft controls are a particularly important feature because the operation action in NPP Advanced MCRs is performed by soft control. Due to the different interfaces between soft control and hardwired conventional type control, different human error probabilities and a new Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) framework should be considered in the HRA for advanced MCRs. Although there are many HRA methods to assess human reliabilities, these methods do not sufficiently consider the features of advanced MCRs such as soft control execution human errors. In this paper, a framework of HRA method for evaluation of soft control execution human error in advanced MCRs is suggested. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.