Managing control room operations carries a heavy responsibility for safety and system reliability, according to SOS International. For example, control center managers must confront challenges such as the aging workforce, skills gap, new regulations, technology, and market forces.
While these issues can seem overwhelming, complicated and difficult to address, operators can turn to universal human performance principals and apply them to control room operations. For example, they must consider the following:
• People will make mistakes.
• Error-likely situations are predictable.
• Organization influences the behavior of individuals.
• Reinforcement affects performance.
• Understanding the right lessons from past events helps.
Three-Step Process
To help to improve performance in control room operations, SOS outlined this three-step process within its latest white paper:
1. Set performance goals and use a systems view to identify the gaps and interrelationships among performance shaping factors.
2. Evaluate the performance risks, use evidence-based practices to fix what is possible, and create defenses where fixes are not possible.
3. Ensure the culture is in place to support cohesive supportive practices, continuous improvement, and learning the right lessons.
For more information, visit the SOS International Web site.
