Standards Certification Education & Training Publishing Conferences & Exhibits Human Factors Engineering Why Smart People do Dumb Things.

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AREVA’s Human Factors Expertise Global Human Factors Expertise Diverse Team Experience –MCR design and upgrades –NUREG-0711 & NUREG-0700 –Function Allocation –Task Analysis –Ergonomic Analyses –Usability –HSI Design and Evaluation

Today’s Objectives By the end of today’s session, you will be able to… Define the term “Human Factors” Discuss how poor human factors design can influence human performance Identify and use selected human factors principles to improve human performance

The Monkey Business Illusion

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This is how we really read… Main Regulating Valves MAIN REGULATING VALVES Bypass Regulating Valves BYPASS REGULATING VALVES

Humans are hardwired for certain types of behavior. We’re inherently good at some things… and we’re inherently not good at others.

What is Human Factors? HFE is a systematic approach to guide the human interactions with a facility (say, a “control room”) to ensure that all functional aspects of human involvement are achievable without introducing opportunities for human error. HFE considers human... –Capabilities –Limitations –Characteristics –Behaviors –Motivations …as they impact the design of structures, systems and components.

HUMAN FACTORS AT WORK…

Control Panel CRT

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DESIGNING FOR HUMAN FACTORS

Visibility Feedback Natural mapping Affordances Constraints

Visibility and Feedback Principle #1: Make relevant parts visible. Principle #2: Give each action an immediate and obvious effect

Visibility and Feedback Sound can be used to provide similar information. When the electric engine is engaged, the Prius is quieter than a vacuum cleaner.

Mapping = the relationship between two things Natural mappings can be –Cultural –Biological –Spatial Natural Mappings Principle #3: Capitalize on the concept of natural mappings

Natural Mappings

Affordances Affordance is a property of the object. They provide strong clues to the operation of things. Suggest how the object should be used –“Verb”-able Users know what to do just by looking at the object. –No instructions needed! Examples –Door plates –Knobs –Button

Affordances

Principle #4: Use the affordances of objects to help infer their use Affordances

Constraints Constraints limit how the design can be used Types: –Physical –Square object and round hole –Cultural –Light switches –Logical –Order (1,2,3 or a, b, c) Principle #5: Restrict the kind of interaction that can take place at a given moment

Human factors guidelines can help us optimize a user’s performance.

Some good human factors resources… Checklists and guidelines –NUREG-0700, Rev. 2, “Human System Interface Review” –MIL STD 1472, “Design Criteria Human Engineering” Professional Societies –Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) –Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Web Resource –Jacob Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics ( ) Books –Human Factors Engineering and Design, by Sanders and McCormick –Kodak's Ergonomic Design for People at Work, by The Eastman Kodak Company

Thank You! Paris Stringfellow, Ph.D. AREVA, Inc. (704)