A Comparison of Operator Response Times Predicted by the HCR Model with those Obtained from Simulators Available to Purchase

A case study of the analysis of operator reponse times following an abnormal event is presented. A number of timings of operator responses on a full‐scale nuclear plant simulator have been taken. These timings are compared with the human cognitive reliability (HCR) model. Agreement with the basic framework of the model is shown. Based on the data collected and on operators′ judgements on behaviour differences on simulators and the plant, criticisms of some aspects of the model are raised. The principal findings are: (1) the technique relies on the judgement of the analyst in the correct selection of behaviour type. The results of the analysis are very sensitive to this behaviour type; (2) the methods proposed for estimating the median response time are questioned, particularly when applying data from simulator measurements to the plant.