NANTeL Human Performance Principles 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which best describes 'normalization of deviance' in nuclear operations?
- Updating procedures to reflect actual plant conditions
- Gradual acceptance of non-standard practices as normal over time (Correct answer)
- Training workers to handle abnormal operating conditions
- Documenting deviations in the corrective action program
Correct answer: Gradual acceptance of non-standard practices as normal over time
Normalization of deviance occurs when repeated exposure to deviations without negative consequence causes workers to accept those deviations as acceptable practice.
Question 2: The primary purpose of the nuclear Corrective Action Program (CAP) is to:
- Punish workers who commit errors
- Identify, evaluate, and resolve conditions adverse to quality (Correct answer)
- Generate regulatory reports for the NRC
- Track equipment maintenance schedules
Correct answer: Identify, evaluate, and resolve conditions adverse to quality
The CAP provides a structured method to identify conditions adverse to quality and drive timely, effective corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
Question 3: A worker performing valve lineup verification should use 'place-keeping' because it:
- Speeds up the task by skipping already-checked items
- Marks physical progress through a checklist to prevent omissions (Correct answer)
- Eliminates the need for a second verifier
- Reduces the number of steps required in the procedure
Correct answer: Marks physical progress through a checklist to prevent omissions
Place-keeping physically tracks position in a procedure to prevent losing one's place during interruptions, which is a common cause of errors of omission.
Question 4: Which scenario is an example of a 'knowledge-based' error?
- Pressing the wrong button on a familiar panel
- Misreading a label due to similar-looking equipment
- Applying incorrect knowledge to diagnose an unfamiliar plant transient (Correct answer)
- Forgetting a procedural step during a routine task
Correct answer: Applying incorrect knowledge to diagnose an unfamiliar plant transient
Knowledge-based errors occur when a person must reason through an unfamiliar situation and applies incorrect or incomplete mental models to solve it.
Question 5: The concept of 'conservative decision-making' in nuclear operations means:
- Always choosing the fastest available option
- Choosing the option that best preserves safety margin when uncertain (Correct answer)
- Deferring all decisions to senior management
- Following the most conservative interpretation of any regulation
Correct answer: Choosing the option that best preserves safety margin when uncertain
Conservative decision-making means that when facing uncertainty, the worker selects the option that maintains the greatest safety margin and avoids unnecessary risk.
Question 6: What is the primary risk when two workers verify a component position simultaneously rather than independently?
- It takes longer than a single verification
- One worker's perception may anchor and bias the other's verification (Correct answer)
- It violates NRC independent verification requirements
- Both workers may be counted as one verification event
Correct answer: One worker's perception may anchor and bias the other's verification
Simultaneous verification creates confirmation bias where one person's announcement influences the other, undermining the independence the check was designed to provide.
Question 7: During a high-pressure situation, a worker feels rushed and considers skipping a peer check. The BEST practice is to:
- Skip the peer check to meet time constraints and document it later
- Slow down and perform the peer check, informing supervision of the time impact (Correct answer)
- Ask a bystander unfamiliar with the task to perform the peer check
- Complete the task and request a post-task verification instead
Correct answer: Slow down and perform the peer check, informing supervision of the time impact
Time pressure is a recognized error precursor; slowing down and completing the peer check—while communicating the schedule impact—maintains safety margin.
NANTeL Human Performance Principles 3
Which best describes 'normalization of deviance' in nuclear operations?