Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
296488 Nuclear Engineering and Design 2014 9 Pages PDF
Abstract

•Operator behaviors were analyzed according to Rasmussen's SRK classification.•Different job positions connote different abilities to perform the job successfully.•Rule-based behavior comprised the main behavior patterns of the operating crew.

For the past years, a number of researches have focused on operators’ behaviors and workloads in advanced main control rooms (MCRs) in either the procedure-domain or knowledge-domain and in either workload-increased or workload-decreased conditions. Different job positions connote different responsibilities and abilities that are required to perform the job successfully. However, it may be inappropriate to apply a dichotomy in these issues. In this study, we clarified these controversial points through the analysis of the time, frequency, and workload of the behaviors based on Rasmussen's skill–rule–knowledge classification (SRK framework) according to the supervisor operator (SRO), reactor operator (RO), and assistant reactor operator (ARO). The results showed that, for the SRO, rule- and knowledge-based behaviors occurred more often than skill-based behavior in terms of time and frequency, and knowledge-based behavior was the main source of workload. For the RO, no significant differences were found among the three behavior types in terms of frequency and workload, but more time was spent on rule-based behaviors than on skill- and knowledge-based behaviors. The ARO spent more time performing skill-based behaviors than rule- and knowledge-based behaviors, but in terms of frequency and workload, rule-based behavior was the predominant type. Operators’ behaviors contribute to a plant's defense-in-depth approach to safety and serve a vital function in ensuring its safe operation. Research on behavioral taxonomies of advanced MCRs has many significant benefits in both scientific-theoretical and applied practical fields.

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Physical Sciences and Engineering Energy Energy Engineering and Power Technology
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