Human Factors Research and Nuclear Safety (1988) / Chapter Skim
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5. The Personnel Subsystem
5. The Personnel Subsystem
Pages 58-70
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From page 58... ...
Although there has been considerable regulatory activity on nuclear plant staffing and on the training and qualification of personnel, there has been almost no research to measure the effectiveness of these activities and little to give direction to such activities in the future. Research on personnel selection, training, and qualifications of personnel does exist in other industries, most notably in commercial and military aviation.
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From page 59... ...
TRAINING Measuring Training Effectiveness Rationale and Background The most fundamental change in nuclear power plant training resulting from the Three Mile Island accident has been the adoption of a systems approach to training. The industry, led by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operation (INPO)
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From page 60... ...
Embedded training is currently receiving considerable attention in the training literature and should be explored in the nuclear power plant context. Basic issues of principle versus procedural training and academic versus skill training also require industry-specific research.
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From page 61... ...
New Training Approathes Rationale and Background Raining currently focuses on whole-scope tasks with high face validity an entire emergency incident or an entire plant startup in an environment with high physical fidelity using a full-scale plantreferenced simulator. Training on component tasks, especially the most difficult or critical ones, is given less emphasis.
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From page 62... ...
Significant improvements in operator skills might be obtained by more frequent simulator exercises, but it is not clear that the exercises normally chosen for simulator training are effective in developing operator skills to cope with the unusual. Finally, it is not clear what impact the physical fidelity of a simulator has on training effectiveness.
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From page 63... ...
For example, questions of academic education versus skill training, the frequency and content of requalification exams, the role of team training and qualifications In the licensing process, and the role of plant personnel in severe accident mitigation would all benefit from the proposed program of research. A training research program should be a central and ongoing element in human factors research.
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From page 64... ...
, but other characteristics, such as national character, organizational structure, physical plant differences, and training make it impossible to conclude that this requirement is a valid one for the United States. In France, for example, the safety engineer (equivalent to the shift technical advisor)
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From page 65... ...
Testing and Licensing Rationale and Background The NRC licensing and requalification examinations adm~nistered to reactor operators and senior operators represent an important method for ensuring that these personnel can operate the plant in a manner consistent with public health and safety. Although the NRC has taken several steps to ensure that questions on the examination are related to the knowledge an operator must master (e.g., NUREG-1021, 1983e; NUREG-1122,1985f; NUREG1123, 1986a)
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From page 66... ...
The NRC administers a licensing examination comprised of written questions and simulator exercises (if a replicate simulator exists) to ensure that candidates have the requisite knowledge and ability.
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From page 67... ...
The result should be an unproved examination process and an increase in the confidence of the industry and the public in the Incensing process. STAFFING Shift Technical Advisor A relatively new plant position ~ that of the shift technical advisor (STA)
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From page 68... ...
, the Edison Electric Institute is currently researching selection with nuclear power plant personnel. Another aspect of selection is to identify people with an aptitude for problem solving under risk and time stress.
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From page 69... ...
However, experimental evidence suggests responses to signals can become automatic and do not always ensure vigilance (Oswald, 1962~. There are many factors that contribute to a loss of vigilance, including fatigue, inappropriate shift schedules, and the effects of circadian biological rhythms.
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From page 70... ...
This is an example of why research is needed at all levels shown in Figure 1. Research Recommendatiom Because large amounts of research on both shift scheduling and vigilance exist, applied research in the nuclear industry should consist of synthesizing this knowledge base for application to power plants and developing and testing possible treatments (informed innovation)
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