A study on the effect of training interval on the use of computerized emergency operatingprocedures

The increase in complexity and the use of computerized displays in the control systems of nuclear power plants have brought new issues related to the training of operators, especially for emergency situations that are known to be very stressful. This study focuses on how the time interval between training sessions can affect the performance (operation time and error rate) of operators using computerized emergency operating procedures. Three levels of time interval (one week, two weeks, and four weeks) were examined. The results indicate significant influence of time interval on operation performance. In general, frequent training results in shorter operation time but not necessarily lower error rate. Learning and forgetting effects can be seen in the retraining process.