ISA 2012 Automation Week
Track: Human Performance
Tuesday, September 25, 1:30 pm-3:00 pm, Room 204A
David Strohbar, session developer
Beville Engineering, Inc.
Do any of these questions apply to your plant?
- Do I have enough console operators, or too many?
- What impact does automation have on staffing?
- Are the industry targets for alarms reasonable?
- What aspects of HMI design have the most impact on performance?
- Should my operators be using trends?
- Are there optimal display formats?
If so, what do they look like?
These and other human performance questions generated the impetus for operating companies and DCS suppliers to collaborate in the formation of the Center for Operator Performance. The Center is an operating company-led effort to pool resources and share learning on ways to reduce abnormal situations and better manage those that do occur, producing safer and more environmentally compliant facilities.
This session highlights the scientific approach to human performance improvement through work done by Center members and researchers. David Strobhar discusses how to staff the console for steady state and upset modes of operation and, in particular, the role automation plays in bridging the gap between the two. Dr. Craig Harvey will explain how human performance is quantified, using research on alarm actuation rates. Finally, Dr.
Leslie Strawderman will highlight a tool under development that shows when certain formats (e.g. trends) are better than others (e.g. numeric value).
