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The human factor in licensing and operating the next generation of nuclear plants
As human factors specialists working at the intersection of human performance and nuclear operations, we are witnessing one of the nuclear sector’s most significant transitions in decades. The emergence of small modular reactors, microreactors, and other advanced designs is reshaping the industry’s landscape. Digital instrumentation and controls, passive safety systems, and increased automation are creating opportunities for greater safety margins and more flexible operation. These same features also fundamentally redefine what it means to “operate” a nuclear plant. Interactions among human roles, automation, and passive systems shape how people maintain awareness, exercise judgment, and intervene when necessary. These developments affect both operational realities and the regulatory foundations on which nuclear safety is built.
Salvatore Taibi
Nuclear Technology | Volume 89 | Number 1 | January 1990 | Pages 52-55
Technical Paper | Nuclear Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT90-A34358
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A procedure for obtaining limit lines for earthquake intensity attenuation is proposed. These are relationships that provide intensity values equal to or greater than actual values, as a function of the epicentral distance, with a percentile probability. They are useful in performing preliminary site selections for large industrial installations where more accurate attenuation models are not applicable due to the lack of a recorded seismic history of the surrounding area. As an example, a limit line valid for Sicily is presented; the results are easy to obtain and sufficiently reliable with respect to the examined territory.