Human factors assessment methodology

In subsequent sections the application of PIFs to various aspects of error reduction will be described. One of the most important of these applications is the use of comprehensive lists of PIFs as a means of auditing an existing plant to identify problem areas that will give rise to increased error potential. This is one aspect of the proactive approach to error reduction that forms a major theme of this book. This application of PIFs can be used by process workers as part of a participative error reduction program. This is an important feature of the human factors assessment methodology (HFAM) approach discussed in Section 2.7. 

The areas that may be considered as part of such an evaluation are the performance-influencing factors (PIFs) described in Chapter 3. The human factors assessment methodology (HFAM) method described in Chapter 2, provides a systematic framework for the evaluation process. 

FIGURE 2.11. Factors in Human Factors Assessment Methodology. 88... 

Models for transport distinguish between the unsaturated zone and the saturated zone, that below the water table. There the underground water moves slowly through the sod or rock according to porosity and gradient, or the extent of fractures. A retardation effect slows the motion of contaminant by large factors in the case of heavy metals. For low level waste, a variety of dose calculations are made for direct and indirect human body uptake of water. Performance assessment methodology is described in Reference 22. 

Many hazard analysis and risk assessment techniques have been developed. These are just a few of the methodologies mentioned in the literature preliminary hazard analysis gross hazard analysis hazard criticality ranking catastrophe analysis change analysis energy flow/barrier analysis energy transfer analysis event tree analysis human factors review the hazard totem pole and double failure analysis. There are many other hazard analysis systems. 

Statistical analysis of past accidents and a methodology (MEDIA) for Human and Organizational Factors assessment in process industries... 

In this section, the Method for Error Deduction and Incident Analysis (MEDIA) methodology is applied to human and organizational factors assessment. A combination of Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) and MEDIA will be presented for pigging operations. Risk quantification of this assessment is based on the results of statistical analysis of past accidents as explained in section 2. 

Ahmad, M. Pontiggia, M. Demichela, M. 2014. Human and organizational factor risk assessment in process industry and a risk assessment methodology (MEDIA) to incorporate human and organizational factors. Chemical Engineering Transactions, 36, 565-570 D01 10.3303/CET1436095. 

This application case is focused on studying the effect of human factor in the analysis of changes to LCO applied to manual starting of RHRS. The methodology proposed in RG 1.174 is used in order to assess and analyze the risk impact of the proposed change. 

Each Gen-lV system requires challenging R D projects some are common to all whereas others are specific to the system. For example, the list of Gen-lV safety crosscut items comprises system optimization and safety assessment methodology, emergency planning methods, licensing and regulatory framework, radionuclide transport and dose assessment, and human factors. Additional R D areas of common interest are proposed as instrumentation and control, human machine interface, reactor physics and thermal-hydraulics, risk management, operation and maintenance. 

II-3. Possible abnormal conditions and their causes, such as failures of protection systems or human errors, need to be identified in safety assessments for incorrect operation. The likelihood, significance and consequences of such abnormal conditions are then assessed by means of an appropriate methodology for risk analysis some examples are given below. Probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) is an established technique in risk evaluation for nuclear power plants [II-l], and much of the experience gained from it is adaptable in simplified form to complex applications involving radiation sources. As noted in para. 3.8, the inability of analyses to account adequately for human factors imposes some limitation on the value of these assessments. 

KEMI. 2003. Human health risk assessment. Proposals for the use of assessment (uncertainty) factors. Application to risk assessment for plant protection products, industrial chemicals and biocidal products within the European Union. Report No. 1/03. Solna, Sweden Body for Competence and Methodology Development, the Swedish National Chemicals Inspectorate and Institute of Environmental Medicine Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden. 

Risk assessments are also conducted to derive permissible exposure levels for acute or short-term exposures to chemicals. Health Advisories (HAs) are determined for chemicals in drinking water. They are the allowable human exposures for 1 day, 10 days, longer term, and lifetime durations. The method used to calculate HAs is similar to that of the RfD methodology using uncertainty factors. Data are being developed from toxicity studies with durations appropriate to the HA. 

The first photostability measurements performed on cosmetic UV filters were carried out, probably in the 1930s, by Kunz (9). He prepared dilute solutions of UV filters in (cosmetic) solvents, exposed them to artificial UV radiation and recorded the changes in their UV absorption profile before and after exposure. At that time, the term, "sun-protection factor," was unknown and there was no standard methodology to evaluate the protective potential of a sunscreen on human skin. Hence, the behavior of the filter was used as a surrogate for a protection assessment. 

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