Nuclear learning pathway

Human factors in nuclear

Nuclear facilities are complex sociotechnical systems within which people perform essential roles in maintaining safety and reliability. In safety-critical sectors such as this, human factors has a vital part to play in optimising human performance by applying knowledge about human characteristics, capabilities and limitations as well as the job, organisational and cultural aspects.

Human factors considers the role of the human within the system and the contribution they make to safety. It looks at physical aspects such as control room design including seating, displays and controls, alarms and warnings, lighting and noise. It explores equipment design, lifting operations, access and egress, maintenance and repair, and site layout. It also looks at procedures, shifts, teamwork, supervision, planning and communication.

A major part of safe working is learning from adverse events. Understanding what went wrong and what led to an incident is a key part of human factors. It enables lessons to be learnt and systems to be improved by discovering and understanding root causes.

Overview

The Nuclear Human Factors Learning Pathway has been developed in response to a request from the industry to help address the acute nuclear HF skills shortage and the lack of nuclear-specific training courses within HF. Learners will develop HF knowledge and skills relevant to the nuclear sector, developing technical competence in HF and effective communication of HF nuclear principles. 

Domains

The pathway offers four different routes to choose from, using relevant good practice from across the industry and providing opportunity to engage with the wider HF community. Click on each route to find out who they're for and download their information sheets.

Why do it?

• Enhanced safety: Implementing human factors principles can significantly reduce accidents and incidents, making nuclear facilities safer environments.
• Improved efficiency: Optimising the human-machine interface and workflow can lead to increased efficiency, reduced delays and improving performance.
• Reduced costs: By minimising human error and fatigue-related incidents, nuclear organisations can save substantial costs associated with accidents and disruptions.
• Competitive advantage: By equipping your team with cutting-edge knowledge and skills, position your organisation as a leader in the nuclear sector.
• Compliance: Applying human factors can increase compliance and reduce the risk of penalties and legal issues.Questions you might have

Questions you might have