Apply Performance Evaluation Matrix on Investigating Human Error Events in the Main Control Room

Digitalized nuclear instruments and control systems have become the main stream design for the main control room (MCR) of advanced nuclear power plants (NPPs) nowadays. Digital human-system interface (HSI) could improve human performance and, on the other hand, could reduce operators’ situation awareness as well. It might cause humans making wrong decision during an emergency unintentionally. Besides, digital HSI relies on computers to integrate system information automatically instead of human operation. It has changed the operator’s role from mainly relating operational activity to mainly relating monitoring. However, if operators omit or misjudge the information on the video display units or wide display panel, the error of omission and error of commission may occur. Therefore, how to avoid and prevent human errors has become a very imperative and important issue in the nuclear safety field. This study applies Performance Evaluation Matrix to explore the potential human errors problems of the MCR. The results show that the potential problems which would probably affect to the human performance of the MCR in advanced NPPs are multiple accidents, pressure level, number of operators, and other factors such as working environmental.