Evaluating Nuclear Control Room Improvements Through Analysis of Critical Operator Decisions

Decision making by nuclear power plant operators was studied in the context of four recent “off-normal” incidents, in order to assess the potential impact of various proposed control room improvements. A model of operator decision making was applied to critical operator decisions during each event in order to determine how each proposed improvement could help prevent or resolve decision-making errors. The results indicated that time stress on the crew played an appreciable role in the performance failures identified, and that a combination of improvements will be necessary to address this problem.