Human Factors Integrated System Validation in the Nuclear Power Plant Main Control Room

Abstract

According to NUREG-0711, Human Factors Verification and Validation is one of the final stages of Human Factors Engineering Program, determining whether an integrated system’s design conforms to HF design principles, and enables plant personnel to successfully perform their tasks and other operational goals, assuring plant safety. As the center of monitoring and controlling the Nuclear Power Plant, the Main Control Room is an integrated system comprising varieties of Human System Interfaces, procedures, operators and environment, which should all be included in HF V&V activities. Meanwhile, the comprehensive performance of operators interacting with human machine interfaces would also be evaluated by simulating plant operation conditions. Normally, the previous series of HF activities are known as Integrated System Validation, which would be implemented upon a high fidelity Full Scope Simulator identical with the main control room panels.