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Definition List for Human Factors
Following is a list of definitions, used by coders, for the "area" and the "detail" codes
that are assigned to each human performance problem. The definitions are provided so that one can understand what types of
problems or issues are assigned to that particular code.
- Training
- Procedures and Reference Documents
- Fitness for Duty
- Oversight
- Problem Identification and Resolution:
- Communication:
- Human - System Interface
- Work Planning and Implementation
Training: Area Definitions
T1. Initial |
if training is basic training leading up to initial qualifications |
T2. Continuing/re-qualification training |
if training presents advanced topics or refresher training on basic topics |
T3. On-the-job training |
if training is job performance oriented, leading to task qualification, and/or conducted in a work environment |
T4. Simulator training |
if training is conducted using a control room simulator |
Training: Details Definitions
100 Training less than adequate |
if the incident/condition is due to not providing any training on a specific topic, or training is
incomplete/incorrect |
101 Training process problem |
if the incident/condition is due to a break down in the systems approach to training (SAT) (e.g.,
inadequate job or task analysis, task qualification process was not sufficient to ensure that the worker
could successfully perform the task in actual job conditions, inadequate program evaluation or feedback,
or failure to keep lesson materials current) |
102 Individual knowledge less than adequate |
If the worker has received the appropriate training but fails to apply or inadequately applies the relevant
knowledge |
Training: Details Definitions - Simulator Training
103 Simulator training less than adequate |
if the simulator model does not provide a means of simulating a failure of a particular device, mimic the actual system response, or match actual plant system response during training use, or simulator is not used for training when it should be |
Procedures and Reference Documents: Area Definitions
P1 General operating |
procedures related to all phases of normal plant operation (including drawings) |
P2 Abnormal/off normal/alarm conditions |
all Abnormal Operating Procedure (AOP) or Alarm Response Procedure (ARP) |
P3 Emergency (EOP's/ERP's) |
all Emergency Operating Procedures (EOP) and Emergency Response Procedures (ERP) |
P4 Reactivity control |
procedures/documents related to altering the core reactivity (movement between modes), such as general plant startup
and shutdown, and includes any governing reactor engineering or nuclear engineering procedure used by cognizant plant
staff overseeing the operators as they alter core reactivity |
P5 Maintenance/modification |
procedures/documents related to corrective and preventive maintenance activities, and also includes vendor manuals |
P6 Surveillance/test/calibration |
procedures/documents governing activities related to testing of equipment to ensure operability during normal operation or after maintenance, calibration, troubleshooting |
P7 Chemical/radiochemical |
procedures/documents related to acquiring current information on radionuclides or water chemistry problems |
P8 Refueling |
procedures/documents related to movement of fuel or control rods |
P9 Administrative |
procedures, checklists, etc. related to general activities such as tagging, scaffolding, housekeeping,
configuration control |
P10 Licensing documents |
documents detailing specific license requirements such as Technical Specifications, Final Safety Analysis Report
(FSAR), or design basis documents |
P11 Special |
procedures/documents related to unique situations such as once in a plant life test and installation of a
unique modification |
P12 Other |
procedure/documents which do not fit into any of the other area definitions |
Procedures and Reference Documents: Details Definitions
110 No procedure/reference document |
if a procedure/document does not exist |
111 Procedure/reference document technical content is less than adequate |
if a procedure/document exists but does not provide sufficient guidance for the worker to avoid error, or the procedure/document contains incorrect information (e.g., missing step) |
112 Procedure/reference document contains human factors deficiencies |
if the procedure/document content is correct but the human factors design makes it difficult for the worker to follow the guidance, or the worker misinterprets information contained in the procedure/document |
113 Procedure/reference document development and maintenance less than adequate |
if the procedure/document was developed using inadequate analysis, has not been updated in either the original or in a specific copy, or its physical condition has not been maintained |
Fitness for Duty: Area Definitions
F1 Drugs |
if the incident/condition is related to the use, sale, or possession of illegal drugs, or from the use of prescription or over-the-counter substances |
F2 Alcohol |
if the incident/condition is related to the use, sale, or possession of alcohol |
F3 Mental/emotional |
if the incident/condition is related to impairment from a transient personal problem (e.g., divorce or illness or
death of a family member), or a chronic mental or emotional challenge (e.g., depression) |
F4 Fatigue |
if there is impaired performance due to fatigue/alertness factors, or there is a problem in the management
of worker fatigue |
F5 Unknown/other |
If the incident/condition is related to an impairment where the specific nature of the fitness for duty factor
is not described or is not listed in this section |
Fitness for Duty: Detail Definitions - Fitness for Duty
120 Testing less than adequate |
if the incident/condition is related to a lack of or weakness(es) in the drug and alcohol testing program |
121 Assessment less than adequate |
if the incident/condition is related to a missing or ineffective fatigue assessment |
122 Behavioral observation less than adequate |
if the incident/condition is related to a lack of or ineffective observation of workers subject to a fitness for duty
program for behavioral indications that an individual may not be fit for duty |
123 Self-declaration less than adequate |
if incident/condition is related to the worker not making or ineffectively making a statement to a supervisor that
he/she is not fit for duty |
124 Training less than adequate |
if the incident/condition is related to weakness(es) in FFD training or a failure to receive training |
125 Work hour control |
if the incident/condition is related to ineffective design of routine work schedules and control of unscheduled work
hours (e.g., overtime) |
126 Task design/work environment |
if task factors (e.g., repetition, cognitive stimulation, automation) or environmental factors (e.g., heat, noise)
are not effectively controlled to maintain worker alertness |
127 Circadian factors/individual differences |
if there is performance impairment related to naturally occurring variations in alertness repeating on an approximate
24 hour cycle or related to differences among individuals (including sleep disorders) and individual lifestyles affecting
ability to remain alert or tolerate shift work |
128 Non-compliance |
if the incident/condition does not meet relevant standards, procedures, or regulatory requirements related to fitness
for duty |
129 Impairment |
if the individual(s) ability to safely and competently perform duties is impaired or is questionable and coincides
with conditions that contribute to fitness for duty problems (e.g., fatigue: extended work hours, decreased rest, shift
transitions), statement of being unfit for duty, or indication that the individual was unfit (e.g., sleeping, not fully
alert/attentive) |
Oversight: Area Definitions
O1 Oversight |
if the incident/condition is due to management or supervision of work activity or workers |
Oversight: Details Definitions
130 Inadequate supervision/command and control |
if the incident/condition is due to a lack of or less than adequate supervision or command and control of work activity implementation |
131 Expectations or directions less than adequate |
if specific expectations (e.g., from manager, supervisor, etc.) are unavailable, unclear, incorrect, or places emphasis on meeting schedule in spite of problems, excessive work load, or job demands, or workers feel rushed due to perceived direction (e.g., from supervisors, management, etc.) |
Problem Identification and Resolution: Area Definitions
R1 Problem identification |
if incident/condition is related to the identification of an issue or deficiency |
R2 Problem evaluation |
if incident/condition is related to the evaluation (e.g., apparent cause, root cause) of an issue or
deficiency |
R3 Problem resolution |
if incident/condition is related to the corrective actions to address an issue or deficiency |
R4 Corrective action program |
if incident/condition is related to the effectiveness of the corrective action program at a programmatic
level |
R5 Safety conscious work environment |
if incident/condition is related to employees not feeling free to raise safety concerns |
Problem Identification and Resolution: Detail Definitions - Problem Identification
140 Problem not completely or accurately identified |
if the incident/condition is not completely or accurately identified at an appropriate threshold,
in a timely matter, and entered correctly into the corrective action program |
141 Problem not properly classified or prioritized |
if the incident/condition is not appropriately classified to receive the proper level of evaluation (e.g., apparent cause or root cause), or is not prioritized commensurate with its safety significance. |
142 Operating experience (OE) review less than adequate |
if the incident/condition is related to failure to consider the implications of previous plant or industry
OE (including NRC communications) |
143 Tracking/trending less than adequate |
if the tracking of problems to identify trends that might indicate a more significant safety issue is not
conducted or is ineffective |
144 Audit/self-assessment/effectiveness review less than adequate |
if the number or quality of audits, self-assessments, or effectiveness review is not sufficient to
identify problems |
Problem Identification and Resolution: Detail Definitions - Problem Evaluation
145 Causal development less than adequate |
if the identification of causal factors (e.g., the apparent or root cause) is not appropriately focused or of the right scope to correct the problem |
146 Evaluation less than adequate |
if the problem evaluation does not give appropriate consideration to the extent of condition, generic implications, common cause, or previous occurrences |
Problem Identification and Resolution: Detail Definitions - Problem Resolution
147 Individual corrective action less than adequate |
if a specific fix was not completed, or if completed, was ineffective in fixing the incident/condition and/or failed to
prevent recurrence |
148 Action not yet started or untimely |
if a specific corrective action was previously identified, but has not been started or was not implemented on a timely basis |
149 No action planned |
if a previous occurrence did not identify any corrective actions where there should have been |
Problem Identification and Resolution: Detail Definitions - Corrective Action Program
150 Programmatic deficiency |
if the program for identifying and correcting problems has not been effective in addressing problems or preventing recurrences of problems due to programmatic or organizational weaknesses |
Problem Identification and Resolution: Detail Definitions - Safety Conscious Work Environment
151 Willingness to raise concerns less than adequate |
if there is indication of reluctance to raise safety concerns |
152 Preventing and detecting retaliation less than adequate |
if the incident/condition is related to ineffective detection and prevention of retaliation or perceptions of retaliation for raising safety concerns |
Communication: Area Definitions
C1 Oral |
if the incident/condition is related to instructions or information transmitted orally |
C2 Written |
if the incident/condition is related to instructions or information other than that in procedures which is transmitted in writing (e.g., night orders, memos, operator aids for operation of equipment) |
Communication: Details Definitions
160 No Communication/information not communicated |
if information is not shared, not found, not used, or sent to the wrong place or person |
161 Communication less than adequate |
if the incident/condition is related to any of the following:
- information is missing key elements (e.g., not specifying a particular train), is incorrect (e.g., misstating information such as providing the wrong identification number for a piece of equipment), or is confusing
- the information is correctly stated or written but is not understood or is misinterpreted
- the correct information is received late (e.g., starting a test before informing the control room)
- the groups fail to cross check the information being communicated |
162 Communication equipment less than adequate |
if no equipment is available, or if available, equipment does not allow for clear communication in the environment
in which it is being used (e.g., too much static, insufficient number of radio frequencies to support the amount of work,
failure to make the signal stand out from the background noise) |
Human-System Interface: Area Definitions
H1 Human-system interface (HSI) components/equipment |
if the incident/condition is related to any of the following:
-alarms/annunciators (used to provide audible or visual notifications or indications)
-controls and input devices (either analog or digital, used to change the operating characteristics of equipment)
-displays (not the panel; the presentation of information that is used for monitoring or controlling equipment)
-panel or workstation layout (the physical arrangement of devices, displays, alarms and equipment as they relate to each other or to the worker)
-labels (placard or printed information designed to provide identifying information)
-pumps, valves, electrical devices, or other devices that are operated or needed for the performance of a task |
H2 Simulator |
if the incident/condition involves the simulator for non-training purposes |
H3 Physical work environment |
if the physical work conditions have an adverse impact on the performance of tasks (e.g., temperature and humidity (indoor), lighting, noise levels, radiation levels, work area layout or accessibility, and postings) |
Human-System Interface: Details Definitions - HSI Components
170 HSI or information availability/quality less than adequate |
if the incident/condition is related to any of the following:
-information contained on or location of labels is confusing or misleading
-information and identify ability with associated alarms, controls, or displays is not clear
-presentation of information on menus for CRT screens or large overview display panels is confusing or misleading (includes hybrid analog and digital interfaces)
-the size, shape, coding or scale marking scheme is confusing or misleading |
Human-System Interface: Details Definitions - Simulator
171 Simulator fidelity less than adequate |
if the simulator model does not provide a means of simulating a failure of a particular device, does not mimic the actual system response, or does not match actual plant system response, during uses other than training |
172 Simulator use less than adequate |
if the simulator should have been used but is not, or it is used for inappropriate purposes (e.g., using the simulator to collect information on plant response when calculations should have been performed) |
Human-System Interface: Details Definitions - Physical Work Environment
173 Physical conditions less than adequate |
if the incident/condition is related to any of the following physical work conditions (not related to fatigue or alertness):
-extremes of either hot or cold temperature or other extreme weather conditions
-inadequate level of lighting, too much glare, or wrong color lighting
-distracting noise level
-work practices required because of the radiation level, or performance of the task was made more difficult by requirements for worker to wear protective clothing
-limited access to equipment or controls
-inappropriate work area size
-postings contain limited information, are in inadequate/inappropriate locations, or are untimely, out-of-date, or uncontrolled |
Work Planning and Implementation: Area Definitions
W1 Work planning and coordination |
if the incident/condition is related to the scheduling, allocation, staffing, or planning of work tasks |
W2 Conduct of work |
if the incident/condition is due to work practices that are not consistent with the type, difficulty, or importance/risk-significance of the task |
W3 Awareness/attention |
if the incident/condition is due to a lack of awareness, attention or checking |
Work Planning and Implementation: Details Definitions - Work Planning and Coordination
180 Scheduling and planning less than adequate |
if the incident/condition is due to a lack of scheduling of work, key aspects of the job not being considered,
or insufficient time available to complete the task |
181 Inadequate staffing/task allocation less than adequate |
if the incident/condition is due to work practices that are not consistent with the type, difficulty, or
importance/risk-significance of the task |
182 Work package quality less than adequate |
if the work package is missing information, or the information is incorrect or insufficient to ensure successful
work |
183 Pre-job activities less than adequate |
if the pre-job activities (e.g., briefing, walk through, shift turnover, or preparation activity) were missing or
insufficiently covered information, or conditions were not verified prior to conducting the activities |
184 Tag outs |
if the incident/condition is due to missing or incorrect tagging |
Work Planning and Implementation: Details Definitions - Conduct of Work
185 Procedural adherence less than adequate |
if personnel fail to identify errors through independent verification or if they perform verifications inconsistent
with management expectations or industry standards |
186 Failure to take action/meet requirements |
if the appropriate action to address the situation/circumstances or to meet requirements is not taken or is taken
inadequately (e.g., meet surveillance requirements, notify NRC) |
187 Action implementation less than adequate |
if implementation of an action (e.g., physical such as manipulations, or mental such as calculations/analyses)
is performed incorrectly or inadequately |
188 Work practice or craft skill less than adequate |
if the skill of the craft activities are not performed consistent with management expectations, safety significance
of activity, or industry standards |
189 Recognition of adverse condition/questioning attitude less than adequate |
if unfavorable/uncertain conditions/situation is not recognized in a timely manner |
190 Failure to stop work/non-conservative decision-making |
if personnel fail to stop work or establish appropriate controls when presented with unfavorable or uncertain work
conditions |
191 Team interactions less than adequate |
if there is a lack of or inadequate inter/intra-group coordination |
192 Work untimely |
if work is done before authorized, delayed with or without reason, or performed out of sequence |
193 Non-conservative action |
if the worker knowingly fails to follow a procedure or supervisory direction or takes a non-approved action |
194 Housekeeping less than adequate |
if the work areas have unusual amounts of dirt, or tools, materials, and equipment are not properly cared for or
stored |
195 Log keeping or log review less than adequate |
if log entries are missing, incomplete or untimely |
196 Independent verification/plant tours less than adequate |
if personnel fail to identify errors through independent verification (e.g., peer/second check), or verifications are performed inconsistent with management expectations or industry standards |
Work Planning and Implementation: Details Definitions - Awareness and Attention
197 Self-check less than adequate |
if a worker fails to adequately self-check before, during, or after performing task (e.g., Stop, Think, Act, Review) |
198 Worker distracted/interrupted/monitoring LTA |
includes incidents/conditions due to failing to maintain situational awareness or vigilance, conducting infrequent
or ineffective control board monitoring (e.g., status monitoring), or being distracted or interrupted from assigned
tasks |
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