A human reliability analysis methodology for industrial and process facilities

Reference is made to industrial accidents such as Bhopal and Chernobyl, and the increasing recognition of the critical role of humans in the safe and successful operation of complex process systems. Such accidents have focused attention on the evaluation of human performance reliability. The need for human reliability analysis (HRA), and the resulting progress in HRA techniques, have been especially strong in the nuclear power industry because of the visibility and perceived risk of nuclear plant operation. The underlying concept of HRA, to better understand the human interaction with complex systems, reaches beyond the boundaries of any single industry and makes HRA a useful tool in the assessment of safety and reliability for any process of power plant. A methodology for human reliability analysis is described, and its application to the general needs of industrial and process plant operation is discussed