Control Room Design Review: The Duke Power Experience

The increasing complexity of nuclear power plants, together with the frequency of process functional changes and related regulatory activities, has been met with varying degrees of concern within the utility industry. With a concern for the additional burden placed upon nuclear power plant operators and the need for a good man-machine interface, Duke Power began a human factors review of the control rooms for all Duke nuclear power plants in early 1982. The NRC has now made this type of review mandatory for all nuclear power plants. The Duke Control Room Review focused on three review activities, a human factors survey of the control room, an operating experience review, and a task analysis of required operator actions during emergency conditions. An overview of the methods used in the Duke Control Room Review and a summary of the Review results is presented.