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Human Factors Research and Nuclear Safety (1988) / Chapter Skim
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2. The NRC's Human Factors Research Program
Pages 23-29

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From page 23...
... Other investigations disclosed that human factors deficiencies were not limited to control rooms but extended to other parts of nuclear power plants, such as design for maintainability, surveillance, testing, and security. After seven years of repeated investigations and warnings, why had so little attention been paid to the application of human factors knowledge to nuclear power plant design and operation?
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From page 24...
... Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NUREG-0616, 1979a, p.3~:* Human factors played a key role in the precursor events, in the accident scenario, in the response to the accident, and in many other related aspects.
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From page 25...
... . This program was aimed at providing the technical knowledge base for resolving seven important regulatory Issues: Upgrading personnel qualifications and examinations; Upgrading operating procedures; The utilization of computers; The impact on safety of organization and management; Human contributions to risk and how to reduce them; Human-machine technology changes that should be considered; and Human factors requirements for severe accident management.
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From page 26...
... Exchanges also occurred with nuclear steam supply system vendor companies, with the national laboratories of the Department of Energy, with other countries engaged in human factors research, and with the Halden Project in Norway a multinational research group established by its supporting member nations to conduct research on nuclear power plant design and safety. Some NRC research projects were even conducted in cooperation with utilities and utility owners groups; one study made use of a utility-owned training simulator and licensed personnel.
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From page 27...
... Overall cuts in federal spending, a lack of conviction of the value of human factors research by NRC management, possible disappointment in the usefulness of research results in regulatory decision making, and the assumption by some NRC executives that within a five-year period following
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From page 28...
... Although the panel applauds the NRC's recent decision to reinitiate research on human factors in fiscal 1988, the collapse of the program since 1985 is one of many signs of historically uncertain support in this important area. In the past, many projects particularly longer-term projects as opposed to technical assistance have been curtailed or postponed in rn~-course.
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From page 29...
... We believe that by drawing on other disciplines and adopting new methods and by focusing not only on the human-mach~ne interface but on the larger sociotechnical system in which it is embedded, the demands of the nuclear industry to enhance safety can be met.
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Key Terms

  • factors program
  • nuclear reactor
  • program plan
  • reactor regulation
  • mile island

  • research plan
  • factors safety
  • human reliability
  • power plant
  • nrc management

  • nrc human
  • precursor events
  • plant design
  • factors deficiencies
  • multinational research

  • engineering safety
  • factors society
  • initial steps
  • regulation determine
  • repeated investigations

  • steam supply
  • appropriately staffed
  • upgrading operating
  • rendering nuclear
  • nrc funded

  • investigations disclosed
  • reliability research
  • nrc published
  • reinitiate research
  • severe accident


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