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Human Reliability Analysis 3-Day Course

Course Description

The course topics are on human performance and human reliability analysis (HRA). Specific topics are HRA process, HRA standards, interface between HRA and probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), human error probability estimates, error taxonomies, performance shaping factors, human performance measurement, HRA good practices, task analysis, task dependency, error recovery, uncertainty estimates, safety culture, effects of automation, human performance data, and "HRA-informed" understanding of noteworthy events. The participants are expected to have prior knowledge in basic statistics, probability, and the processes that lead to human failures. Nevertheless, some refresher topics will be briefly reviewed. The refresher topics include:

  • Concept of human performance and reliability
  • Human cognition and behavior
  • Probability concept
  • Load and strength
  • Defense in depth
  • Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA)

In addition, to assist the participants in mastering the course, selected domestic and international HRA methods will be discussed including:

  • THERP: Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction
  • ASEP: Accident Sequence Evaluation Program
  • SPAR-H: Standardized Plant Analysis Risk HRA method
  • ATHEANA: A Technique for Human Event Analysis
  • HCR/ORE: Human Cognitive Reliability/Operator Reliability Experiment
  • CBDT: Cause Based Decision Tree
  • CREAM: Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method
  • NARA: Nuclear Action Reliability Assessment
  • HEART: Human Error Assessment and Error Reduction Technique

Who Should Take the Course

Risk managers, safety professionals, and practitioners of HRA, PRA, corrective action program, and human performance improvements may find this course very useful.

What the Student Will Learn

After taking the course, the students should have reasonable knowledge in HRA technology; have reasonable understanding on HRA standards and good practices; and hands-on experience on estimating human error probabilities using the selected HRA methods.

Included Materials

Attendees will receive a CD that contains course handouts and additional information.

Yung Hsien J. Chang, PHD.

Picture of Yung Hsien J. Chang, PHD.

Dr. Chang is a human reliability engineer at the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Dr. Chang received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering program from the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to joining NRC, Dr. Chang was a research associate at the University of Maryland and a researcher at the Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland. His research interests are in HRA and dynamic PRA. He also performed contractual work for Lucent Technologies, the Idaho National Laboratory, NASA, and NRC in the areas of human performance analysis, common cause failure analysis, and thermal-hydraulic uncertainty assessment.

Course Outline

  • Human cognition and response tendencies
  • Error taxonomies
  • Human reliability analysis process, good practices, and tools
  • Human error probability quantification techniques: THERP, ASEP, SPAR-H, ATHEANA, HCR/ORE, CBDT, CREAM, NARA, HEART, and MERMOS
  • Human performance data sources
  • Examples and case studies