Yung-Tsan Jou

A study of control room staffing and workload from the human information processing perspective

This study examines the effectiveness of information presentation and task operation in the main control room (MCR) from the human information processing (HIP) perspective. Their influences on operator workloads and implications to staffing are also discussed. The personnel from the Lungmen Nuclear Power Plant in Taiwan were selected as the target sample. A Total of 75 valid questionnaires were analyzed. The results showed that there were significantly different “perception”, “cognition”, “vocal response”, and “workload” between the shift supervisor (SS), reactor operator (RO), and assistant reactor operator (ARO). These different stages of HIP were positively correlated with each other. The result also showed that the workload of the operator was correlated with how they were involved in the HIP stages. This HIP analysis provides a useful way to further understand why their workload might be different with respect to their staffing roles and responsibilities in a hope to re-organize and redesign their tasks in order to prevent from human errors in the future.

Designing globally accepted human interfaces for instant messaging

This study investigated the perception differences of IM (instant messaging) icons between users of different cultural backgrounds. Two major parts were developed for this study. The first part investigated the frequent IM icons as a basis for improving the IM user-interface design. The second part tested the use of different graphical symbols using subjects from two different populations, Taiwan and the United States. From the result, there is significant difference between the two user groups on their recognition of those frequent icons. Confusion matrices further show that some icons were thought to be associated with same functions by the two groups while some others were linked with different functions. These similarities and differences could be due to the cultural differences between the two user groups. It is suggested that cultural differences should be effectively recognized by icon designers for globally accepted human computer interfaces in software products.

A review of current human reliability assessment methods utilized in high hazard human-system interface design

This paper has three objectives. The first is to discuss the role that human reliability assessment implemented in human systems interface design. The second is to present significant characteristics of available HRA techniques. The third is to provide our viewpoints of the applicability of HRA methods in HIS design. Generally, HRA approaches advocate seven stages, problem definition, performances shaping factors analysis, task analysis, human error analysis, effect analysis, error reduction strategies, and evaluation of recommendations. The most difficult technique is the human error probability estimation and prediction. There are four shortcomings of past human error probability estimation and prediction methods. First, the reliable data is deficient. Second, there are insufficient criteria for choosing PSFs. Third, there is a limited capacity for evaluating cognitive behavior. Finally, possible causes are ignored. To look into the above-described problems, this study reviewed present HRA methods and proposed several aspects for future HRA method development.

A STUDY OF OPTIMAL HANDLE SHAPE AND MUSCLE STRENGTH DISTRIBUTION ON LOWER ARM WHEN HOLDING A FOIL

The strength of five working muscle groups of the lower arms of 8 male fencers, including adductor pollicis, extensor carpi radialis, flexor carpi radialis, extensor carpi ulnaris, and flexor carpi ulnaris, were examined during competition. Root mean square values of muscular electromyographic signals indicated that the shape of foil handles significantly influenced distribution of working strength of each muscle group. Use of the Pistol-Viscounti type of foil handle showed better distribution of strength among the 5 muscle groups than did other types of foils. Using the Pistol-Viscounti foil handle not only reduced muscular fatigue but also lessened cumulative trauma symptoms while holding a foil for a long duration.

A human-centered systems approach to ship facility design

This paper describes a systems development study that used the human-centered approach to ship facility design. The study followed human systems engineering processes for developing facility and equipment in ships, from design, test and evaluation, to manufacture and maintenance. Ship engineering and systems development procedures are re-engineered to develop an integrated process of ship facility design that considers all aspects of optimal human operations, living, and working conditions. Use of this approach will be critical to future complex ship systems design towards an integrated system life cycle that ensures best operational safety, comfort, and performance.

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.Copyright

Designing an ergonomic computer console on the ship

This study develops a new computer console that is to be used on a ship according to ergonomics principles. The proposed design enables console operators to safely, comfortably, and efficiently operate equipment in the ship navigating environment. This study discusses human limitations to work with computer consoles in extreme motion conditions and confined workspaces that is typical of the ship environment. The system architecture, developments, and detailed design considerations are discussed in the paper.