Human Factors
Engineering
Why Smart People do Dumb Things.
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a well-rounded offering
• Nuclear and
renewable energies
are complementary
• Two growing
markets
• Nuclear: confirmed
benefits of AREVA's
integrated model
AREVA across the globe
AREVA’s Human Factors Expertise
• Global Human Factors Expertise
• Diverse Team
• Experience
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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
Can you read this?
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde
Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the
ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng
is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit
pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you
can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is
bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey
lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
This is how we really read…
MAIN REGULATING VALVES
BYPASS REGULATING VALVES
Main Regulating Valves
Bypass Regulating Valves
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...
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Capabilities
Limitations
Characteristics
Behaviors
Motivations
…as they impact the design of structures, systems and
components.
HUMAN FACTORS AT WORK…
Control
Panel CRT
p.17
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.
Natural Mappings
• Mapping = the
relationship between
two things
• Natural mappings
can be
– Cultural
– Biological
– Spatial
Principle #3: Capitalize on
the concept of natural
mappings
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
Affordances
Principle #4: Use the affordances of
objects to help infer their use
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
(http://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-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)805-2661
Paris.Stringfellow@AREVA.com
www.AREVA.com