Human factors improvements to technical specifications of nuclear control rooms

The authors describe an industrywide effort to improve the primary operating document of nuclear power plants, technical specifications. The Human Factors Improvement to Technical Specifications working group was formed to develop a single industry treatment of human-factors issues. THe group was chartered to identify human-factors problems with the existing organization and format of technical specifications and to recommend improvements. Three independent user surveys identified technical specifications to be ambiguous, technically incomplete, and different to interpret and use. The inability to cross-reference information was cited as the most critical issue. All human-factors recommendations were based on consideration of the most frequent, time-constrained, and critical user of technical specifications: the control-room operator. Proven principles from documentation research were used to enhance user ability to locate needed information, increase comprehension, and reduce procedural errors.<>