Impact of non-technical skills on NPP Teams’ performance: Task load effects on communication

Working in a high risk environment as a nuclear power plant (NPP) is inherently stressful. The teams of front line personnel play a major role in the effective functioning of the organization. Team efficacy does not only depend on the professional knowledge of its members but also on their non- technical skills. In our present research we emphasize the importance of communication, cooperation and stress management. We video-tape recorded and analyzed the communi- cation of the control room operator teams and investigated specific communication dimensions of the NPP field. We found significant differences in the communication dimensions under high task load. We also proved the effect of familiarity in communication among team members under and after high task load situations.