How do operators monitor a complex, dynamic work domain? The impact of control room technology

This article describes part of a research programme whose goal is to develo p a better understanding of how operators monitor complex, dynamic systems under normal operations. In a previous phase, field observations were made at two older nuclear power plant control rooms (CRs) consisting primarily o f analogue, hard-wired instrumentation. In this phase, additional field obs ervations were conducted in a newer computer-based CR to determine the impa ct of CR technology on operator monitoring. Eleven different operators were observed in situ for a total of approximately 88 h. The findings indicate that there are many similarities in the monitoring strategies adopted by op erators in the two types of CRs. However, in most cases, these same strateg ies are performed using different behaviours, thereby showing the shaping e ffect of the CR technology. A new way of conceptualizing the difference bet ween traditional analogue CRs and modern computer-based CRs is proposed. (C ) 2001 Academic Press.