Human Factors Issues Associated With Hybrid Human-System Interfaces

Advanced human-system interface (HSI) technology is being integrated into existing nuclear power plants (NPPs) as part of modifications to and upgrades in control rooms (CRs), remote shutdown facilities, and local panels. The new HSIs are predominantly based on digital technology. The result of this evolution is that hybrid HSIs are created, i.e., HSIs containing a mixture of conventional and advanced technology. While the introduction of advanced HSI technology is generally considered to enhance system performance, there is also the potential to negatively impact human performance, spawn new types of human errors, and reduce human reliability. From a safety perspective, while the human performance concerns associated with conventional plants are relatively well understood, the concerns associated with hybrid HSIs are not. Thus, it is important to consider the potential effects of the introduction of new technology on personnel performance. The performance effects associated with hybrid HSIs stem from both the new technology itself as well as its interaction with the conventional technology; i.e., the differences between the characteristics and demands of the new technology and the conventional HSI in which it is placed.

The objectives of this project are to support staff reviewers of hybrid HSIs by developing better knowledge of the human factors issues associated with hybrid HSIs and developing review guidance to support safety reviews of hybrid HSIs. This guidance will complement existing human factors engineering (HFE) guidance by focusing on human performance considerations associated specifically with hybrid HSIs. The initial phase of this project addressed the identification of human performance topics associated with hybrid HSIs. Topics were defined by first identifying the types of technological changes, in terms of design and implementation characteristics, that are being introduced into conventional HSIs which result in hybrid HSIs. Once these trends were identified, their potential effects on personnel performance were examined to identify whether potential human performance concerns existed. This information was gathered from a wide range of information sources including literature, interviews, and visits to foreign and domestic sites. Although the primary focus was NPPs, information was gathered for a broad range of domains that use digital, computer-based technologies. The results of this phase were presented in O'Hara, Stubler, and Higgins (1996). Next, topics were evaluated for their potential significance to plant safety. Based on this analysis, ten topics were identified as being potentially significant to plant safety (Stubler, Higgins, and O'Hara, 1996). Human factors review guidance was developed for five of these topics:

• soft controls
• computer-based procedures
• information (display) design and organization
• design analysis, evaluation, and implementation of hybrid HSIs
• maintenance of digital systems

This guidance was developed using a process which emphasizes the development of technically current, valid, and defensible review criteria and the cost-effective utilization of information resources (O'Hara et al, 1994; Stubler and O'Hara, 1996). For each topic, the following information is provided: a characterization framework for describing key design characteristics, a technical basis for HFE guidelines, and HFE review guidelines. In addition, human performance considerations, for which research results are insufficient to support the development of review guidance, are identified.

Last Modified: February 1, 2008

One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by the Research Foundation for the State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.

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