Human factors in risk assessments of nuclear power plants

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6907227

Ryan, T G

This paper discusses the current state of the human factor in assessments of risk at commercial nuclear power plants (NPPs) vis-a-vis the safety goals of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and introduces an approach for enhancing the risk assessment process to more fully support those safety goals. It is suggested that risk assessments of NPPs, to date, generally have treated human performance in a peripheral manner. This lack of attention to and integration of the human factor may be attributed to an absence of a systems approach, among other things, excluding qualified human factors/human reliability specialists as full participants. The NRC, as part of its efforts to systematize PRA methodology, form both risk assessment and regulatory decision-making perspectives, is seeking enhanced procedures for integrating the human factor more fully into the PRA process. This involves specification of (a) behavioral science expertise required at each step in the process, (b) tasks to be performed by the behavioral scientist(s) to acquire necessary probabilistic and nonprobabilistic information and data on human performance within the context of the larger systems analysis, (c) interfaces between behavioral scientist(s) and other members of the analysis team (e.g., systems and analyst and PRA specialist), and (d) format and content of technical documentation to support both risk assessment and regulatory decision making.

• Research Organization: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
• OSTI ID: 6907227
• Report Number(s): CONF-861102-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 53
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
DECISION MAKING
ERRORS
HUMAN FACTORS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
PERFORMANCE
POWER PLANTS
PROBABILITY
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR SAFETY
REGULATIONS
RELIABILITY
RISK ASSESSMENT
SAFETY
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
US NRC
US ORGANIZATIONS