Human performance and reliability in a complex seismic accident scenario at a nuclear power plant

Ilkka Karanta; Rasmus Hotakainen

doi:10.3850/978-981-94-3281-3_ESREL-SRA-E2025-P4627-cd

Human performance and reliability in a complex seismic accident scenario at a nuclear power plant

Ilkka Karanta
, Rasmus Hotakainen

BA4503 Severe accident analysis

Fortum Oyj

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference article in proceedings › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

A scenario, where a nuclear power plant has experienced an earthquake, and lost its automation systems and main control room, is improbable but exceptionally severe. Then, the mission of the operators is to steer the plant to a safe and as stable as possible state, and secure residual heat removal. In this paper, the scenario is described. Factors affecting operator performance in the scenario are considered. A human reliability analysis model for the scenario is proposed, and its main features outlined. The model consists of treatment of timings and of human errors. Concerning timings, an activity network model is proposed. Concerning human errors, special features of the scenario are treated in performance shaping factors (PSF); central PSFs are identified and factors affecting them are described.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 35th European Safety and Reliability & the 33rd Society for Risk Analysis Europe Conference
Publisher	Research Publishing Services
Pages	1894-1901
Number of pages	8
ISBN (Electronic)	978-981-94-3281-3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3850/978-981-94-3281-3_ESREL-SRA-E2025-P4627-cd
Publication status	Published - 16 Jun 2025
MoE publication type	A4 Article in a conference publication
Event	European Safety and Reliability (ESREL) and Society for Risk Analysis Europe (SRA-E ) ESREL SRA-E 2025 - Stavanger, Norway Duration: 15 Jun 2025 → 19 Jun 2025

Conference

Conference	European Safety and Reliability (ESREL) and Society for Risk Analysis Europe (SRA-E ) ESREL SRA-E 2025
Country/Territory	Norway
City	Stavanger
Period	15/06/25 → 19/06/25

Funding

The study has been partly funded by National NuclearWaste Management Fund through SAFER2028 research programme

Keywords

Human reliability analysis
Human performance
seismic
earthquakes
scenario
performance shaping factors
timings
loss of main control room
loss of automation

Access to Document

10.3850/978-981-94-3281-3_ESREL-SRA-E2025-P4627-cd

https://rpsonline.com.sg/proceedings/esrel-sra-e2025/html/ESREL-SRA-E2025-P4627.html

Cite this

Karanta, I., & Hotakainen, R. (2025). Human performance and reliability in a complex seismic accident scenario at a nuclear power plant. In Proceedings of the 35th European Safety and Reliability & the 33rd Society for Risk Analysis Europe Conference (pp. 1894-1901). Article P4627 Research Publishing Services. https://doi.org/10.3850/978-981-94-3281-3_ESREL-SRA-E2025-P4627-cd

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title = "Human performance and reliability in a complex seismic accident scenario at a nuclear power plant",

abstract = "A scenario, where a nuclear power plant has experienced an earthquake, and lost its automation systems and main control room, is improbable but exceptionally severe. Then, the mission of the operators is to steer the plant to a safe and as stable as possible state, and secure residual heat removal. In this paper, the scenario is described. Factors affecting operator performance in the scenario are considered. A human reliability analysis model for the scenario is proposed, and its main features outlined. The model consists of treatment of timings and of human errors. Concerning timings, an activity network model is proposed. Concerning human errors, special features of the scenario are treated in performance shaping factors (PSF); central PSFs are identified and factors affecting them are described.",

keywords = "Human reliability analysis, Human performance, seismic, earthquakes, scenario, performance shaping factors, timings, loss of main control room, loss of automation",

author = "Ilkka Karanta and Rasmus Hotakainen",

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booktitle = "Proceedings of the 35th European Safety and Reliability \& the 33rd Society for Risk Analysis Europe Conference",

publisher = "Research Publishing Services",

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note = "European Safety and Reliability (ESREL) and Society for Risk Analysis Europe (SRA-E ) ESREL SRA-E 2025 ; Conference date: 15-06-2025 Through 19-06-2025",

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Karanta, I & Hotakainen, R 2025, Human performance and reliability in a complex seismic accident scenario at a nuclear power plant. in Proceedings of the 35th European Safety and Reliability & the 33rd Society for Risk Analysis Europe Conference., P4627, Research Publishing Services, pp. 1894-1901, European Safety and Reliability (ESREL) and Society for Risk Analysis Europe (SRA-E ) ESREL SRA-E 2025, Stavanger, Norway, 15/06/25. https://doi.org/10.3850/978-981-94-3281-3_ESREL-SRA-E2025-P4627-cd

Human performance and reliability in a complex seismic accident scenario at a nuclear power plant. / Karanta, Ilkka; Hotakainen, Rasmus.
Proceedings of the 35th European Safety and Reliability & the 33rd Society for Risk Analysis Europe Conference. Research Publishing Services, 2025. p. 1894-1901 P4627.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference article in proceedings › Scientific › peer-review

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AU - Hotakainen, Rasmus

PY - 2025/6/16

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N2 - A scenario, where a nuclear power plant has experienced an earthquake, and lost its automation systems and main control room, is improbable but exceptionally severe. Then, the mission of the operators is to steer the plant to a safe and as stable as possible state, and secure residual heat removal. In this paper, the scenario is described. Factors affecting operator performance in the scenario are considered. A human reliability analysis model for the scenario is proposed, and its main features outlined. The model consists of treatment of timings and of human errors. Concerning timings, an activity network model is proposed. Concerning human errors, special features of the scenario are treated in performance shaping factors (PSF); central PSFs are identified and factors affecting them are described.

AB - A scenario, where a nuclear power plant has experienced an earthquake, and lost its automation systems and main control room, is improbable but exceptionally severe. Then, the mission of the operators is to steer the plant to a safe and as stable as possible state, and secure residual heat removal. In this paper, the scenario is described. Factors affecting operator performance in the scenario are considered. A human reliability analysis model for the scenario is proposed, and its main features outlined. The model consists of treatment of timings and of human errors. Concerning timings, an activity network model is proposed. Concerning human errors, special features of the scenario are treated in performance shaping factors (PSF); central PSFs are identified and factors affecting them are described.

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KW - Human performance

KW - seismic

KW - earthquakes

KW - scenario

KW - performance shaping factors

KW - timings

KW - loss of main control room

KW - loss of automation

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Y2 - 15 June 2025 through 19 June 2025

ER -

Human performance and reliability in a complex seismic accident scenario at a nuclear power plant

Abstract

Conference

Funding

Keywords

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