Training to break the barriers of habit in diagnosing unusual faults

摘要

The 1979 Three Mile Island 2 accident highlighted the operator's critical role in reactor safety. Since then developments in human-machine interface and training operators on simulators have significantly improved operation and safety. While an operator can develop habits which help the diagnosis of routine faults, there is a concern that this may inhibit the diagnosis of unusual ones. A cooperative work programme undertaken by BNFL and Cardiff University investigated how experienced operators deal with non-routine events, particularly when more than one fault is involved, and developed training to improve performance.