Human reliability analysis of the Tehran research reactor using the SPAR-H method

• Published in: Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection Vol. 27; no. 3; pp. 319 - 332
• Main Authors: Barati, Ramin, Setayeshi, Saeed
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: VINCA Institute of Nuclear Sciences 01.09.2012
• Subjects: human reliability analysis; probabilistic safety analysis; standardized plant analysis risk - human method; Tehran research reactor
• ISSN: 1451-3994; 1452-8185
• DOI: 10.2298/NTRP1203319B

The purpose of this paper is to cover human reliability analysis of the Tehran research reactor using an appropriate method for the representation of human failure probabilities. In the present work, the technique for human error rate prediction and standardized plant analysis risk-human reliability methods have been utilized to quantify different categories of human errors, applied extensively to nuclear power plants. Human reliability analysis is, indeed, an integral and significant part of probabilistic safety analysis studies, without it probabilistic safety analysis would not be a systematic and complete representation of actual plant risks. In addition, possible human errors in research reactors constitute a significant part of the associated risk of such installations and including them in a probabilistic safety analysis for such facilities is a complicated issue. Standardized plant analysis risk-human can be used to address these concerns; it is a well-documented and systematic human reliability analysis system with tables for human performance choices prepared in consultation with experts in the domain. In this method, performance shaping factors are selected via tables, human action dependencies are accounted for, and the method is well designed for the intended use. In this study, in consultations with reactor operators, human errors are identified and adequate performance shaping factors are assigned to produce proper human failure probabilities. Our importance analysis has revealed that human action contained in the possibility of an external object falling on the reactor core are the most significant human errors concerning the Tehran research reactor to be considered in reactor emergency operating procedures and operator training programs aimed at improving reactor safety. Cilj ovog rada je da razmotri analizu ljudske pouzdanosti na Istrazivackom reaktora u Teheranu, koristeci prikladnu metodu za prikazivanje verovatnoce ljudske greske. U dosadasnjem radu primenjena je tehnika za predvidjanje ucestalosti ljudske greske kao i metode standardizovane analize rizika (ljudske pouzdanosti) kod elektrana, koje se siroko koriste u nuklearnim elektranama radi kvantifikovanja razlicitih kategorija ljudskih gresaka. Analiza ljudske pouzdanosti je zaista integralan i znacajan deo studija probabilisticke analize sigurnosti i bez nje ova analiza sigurnosti ne bi bila sistematicna i kompletna predstava stvarnih rizika u elektrani. Dodatno, moguce ljudske greske kod istrazivackih reaktora cine znacajan deo postojeceg rizika ovakvih postrojenja i njihovo uvodjenje u analizu sigurnosti je slozen zadatak. Standardizovana analiza rizika moze se koristiti za suocavanje sa ovakvim problemima jer je dobro dokumentovana i sistematicna sa tabelama mogucih performansi ljudi, koje su pripremljene uz saradnju sa ekspertima iz ove oblasti. U ovoj metodi faktori oblikovanja performansi birani su iz tabela, uracunate su zavisnosti ljudskih akcija i metoda je prilagodjena za namenjenu upotrebu. U saradnji sa operaterima na reaktoru, identifikovane su ljudske greske i odgovarajuci faktori oblikovanja performansi pridruzeni su kako bi se dobile verovatnoce ljudskih gresaka. Nasa analiza je pokazala da ljudske akcije sadrzane u verovatnoci da strani objekat padne na jezgro reaktora su najznacajnije ljudske greske koje se ticu ovog reaktora, te treba da budu unete u reaktorske procedure za slucaj akcidenta, kao i u programe obuke tehnicara koji za cilj imaju poboljsanje bezbednosti reaktora.