Human Factors and the Nuclear Renaissance

Abstract

Following the Three Mile Island incident and the Chernobyl accident, there was a general decline in public acceptance of nuclear power plants. Consequently, there was a heavy push to ensure the safety of existing plants coupled with a large-scale decline in the development of new plants. This situation has posed unique challenges to human factors within the nuclear industry. The emphasis of research came in the form of ensuring the safety of as-built systems. This approach clashed with broader human factors work, which used a variety of innovative approaches to design novel or incrementally improved interfaces. The situation is changing now. As current plants near the end of their operational life, there is an urgent need to develop new plants and modernize aging plants to sustain current energy production levels and, in many countries, to meet growing power demands. The resurgence of interest in nuclear energy has been called the “nuclear renaissance.” The challenge for human factors is now to go beyond as-built safety requirements and provide innovative interface concepts that maximize human performance in new plants. The purpose of this panel is to bring together established and new human factors professionals in nuclear energy to discuss the opportunities and challenges for research, practice, and regulation of this nuclear renaissance.