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Human reliability and human factors in complex organizations: epistemological and critical analysis - practical avenues to action; Fiabilite humaine et facteurs humains dans les organisations complexes: analyse epistemologique et critique voies pratiques pour l`action

Abstract

This article starts out with comment on the existence of persistent problems inherent to probabilistic safety assessments (PSA). It first surveys existing American documents on the subject which make a certain number of criticisms on human reliability analyses, e.g. limitations due to the scant quantities of data available, lack of a basic theoretical model, non-reproducibility of analyses, etc. The article therefore examines and criticizes the epistemological bases of these analyses. One of the fundamental points stressed is that human reliability analyses do not take account of all the special features of the work situation which result in human error (so as to draw up statistical data from a sufficiently representative number of cases), and consequently lose all notion of the `relationships` between human errors and the different aspects of the working environment. The other key points of criticism concern the collective nature of work which is not taken into account, and the frequent confusion between what operatives actually do and their formally prescribed job-tasks. The article proposes aspects to be given thought in order to overcome these difficulties, e.g. quantitative assessment of the social environment within a company, non-linear model for assessment of the accident rate, analysis of stress levels  More>>
Authors:
Publication Date:
Aug 01, 1991
Product Type:
Technical Report
Report Number:
EDF-93-NB-00004
Reference Number:
SCA: 220400; PA: AIX-24:054613; EDB-93:096840; ERA-18:026255; NTS-94:001355; SN: 93001024513
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Aug 1991
Subject:
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; REACTOR OPERATORS; HUMAN FACTORS; REACTORS; RISK ASSESSMENT; PROBABILISTIC ESTIMATION; RELIABILITY; 220400; CONTROL SYSTEMS
OSTI ID:
10168355
Research Organizations:
Electricite de France (EDF), 92 - Clamart (France)
Country of Origin:
France
Language:
French
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ON: DE93631492; TRN: FR9302376054613
Availability:
OSTI; NTIS (US Sales Only); INIS
Submitting Site:
FRN
Size:
[13] p.
Announcement Date:
Jul 06, 2005

Citation Formats

Llory, A. Human reliability and human factors in complex organizations: epistemological and critical analysis - practical avenues to action; Fiabilite humaine et facteurs humains dans les organisations complexes: analyse epistemologique et critique voies pratiques pour l`action. France: N. p., 1991. Web.
Llory, A. Human reliability and human factors in complex organizations: epistemological and critical analysis - practical avenues to action; Fiabilite humaine et facteurs humains dans les organisations complexes: analyse epistemologique et critique voies pratiques pour l`action. France.
Llory, A. 1991. "Human reliability and human factors in complex organizations: epistemological and critical analysis - practical avenues to action; Fiabilite humaine et facteurs humains dans les organisations complexes: analyse epistemologique et critique voies pratiques pour l`action." France.
@misc{etde_10168355,
title = {Human reliability and human factors in complex organizations: epistemological and critical analysis - practical avenues to action; Fiabilite humaine et facteurs humains dans les organisations complexes: analyse epistemologique et critique voies pratiques pour l`action}
author = {Llory, A}
abstractNote = {This article starts out with comment on the existence of persistent problems inherent to probabilistic safety assessments (PSA). It first surveys existing American documents on the subject which make a certain number of criticisms on human reliability analyses, e.g. limitations due to the scant quantities of data available, lack of a basic theoretical model, non-reproducibility of analyses, etc. The article therefore examines and criticizes the epistemological bases of these analyses. One of the fundamental points stressed is that human reliability analyses do not take account of all the special features of the work situation which result in human error (so as to draw up statistical data from a sufficiently representative number of cases), and consequently lose all notion of the `relationships` between human errors and the different aspects of the working environment. The other key points of criticism concern the collective nature of work which is not taken into account, and the frequent confusion between what operatives actually do and their formally prescribed job-tasks. The article proposes aspects to be given thought in order to overcome these difficulties, e.g. quantitative assessment of the social environment within a company, non-linear model for assessment of the accident rate, analysis of stress levels in staff on off-shore platforms. The method approaches used in these three studies are of the same type, and could be transposed to human-reliability problems. The article then goes into greater depth on thinking aimed at developing a `positive` view of the human factor (and not just a `negative` one, i.e. centred on human errors and organizational malfunctions), applying investigation methods developed in the occupational human sciences (occupational psychodynamics, ergonomics, occupational sociology). The importance of operatives working as actors of a team is stressed.}
place = {France}
year = {1991}
month = {Aug}
}