Cues and Cue-based Processing: Implications for System Safety

In process control systems such as electricity power control, the success of a response to a change in the system state is largely dependent upon the capacity of operations controllers to identify, diagnose, and respond to the change. However, despite the importance of these skills in ensuring system safety and integrity, little or no information is acquired pertaining to the skills of operators and how these might impact the system more broadly. Using a cue-based theoretical framework, the present study examined the extent to which an assessment of different aspects of cue utilization could differentiate operator performance in four electrical transmission organizations. Using four tasks that comprise the assessment tool EXPERTise, the performance of 112 electrical controllers was examined, and the results revealed patterns of performance that could provide indicators for intervention. By using a comparative approach to cue utilization, it obviates the need for absolute judgments. Instead, it not only provides an assessment of the relative cue utilization within the organization, but performance on each of the four tasks provides a clear direction for managers in developing interventions that will ensure the safety and integrity of the system in the future.