Appendix G

1

Human Factors Checklist"

1 performance? I.

I I

---._ ___ -~ 11. Accessibility/Availabllity of Controls and Equipment

I - lT readequQte suppies of protective gear readily '

-

Question

7 ~~ --

cleanup, or staging areas to warn workers of spe- I

2 Are adequate barriers erected to limit access to 1

3

4

I 1 cia1 or unique hazards associated with the areas? I

11 I - - - -

maintenance, cleanup, or staging areas? I I

- 1 -I

I 1 - -

- - - -

~ ~ - 1 Are working areas generally clean?

Are provisions in place to limit the time that a 1 worker spends in an extremely hot or cold area?

&Is noise maintained at a tolerable level?

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1, l~ 5

I

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11 6 ~ Are alarms audible above background noise both inside the control room and in the process area? 1

7 1 Is normal and emergency lighting sufficient for all area operations? I

Is there adequate backup power for emergency 1 lighting? I - ~

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. .- 8

- - t - 1 - - -

' This checklist is provided for illustrative purposes only. Readers may wish to develop such a checklist specific to their own situation and needs.

I03

Revalidating Process Hazard Analyses by Walter L. Frank and David K. Whittle

Copyright © 2001 American Institute of Chemical Engineers

I04 Appendix G. Human Factors Checklist

Question

Are workers able to perform both routine and emergency tasks safely while wearing protective equipment?

Is emergency equipment accessible without pre- senting further hazards to personnel?

Is communications equipment adequate and easily accessible?

Would others quickly know if a worker were inca- pacitated in a process area?

Are the right tools (including special tools) avail- able and used when needed?

Is the workplace arranged so that workers can maintain a good working posture while perform- ing necessary movements to conduct routine tasks?

Is access to all controls adequate?

Can operators/maintenance workers safely per- form all required routine/ emergency actions, considering the physical arrangement of equip- ment (e.g., access to equipment, or proximity of tasks to rotating equipment, hot surfaces, haz- ardous discharge points)?

Are valves that require urgent manual adjust- ments (e.g.. emergency shutdown) easily identifi- able and readily accessible?

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11. Labeling

1

2

Is all important equipment (vessels. pipes, valves, instruments, controls, etc.) legibly, accu- rately, and unambiguously labeled?

Does the labeling program include components (e.g., small valves) that are mentioned in the pro- cedures even if they are not assigned an equip- ment number?

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3 Has responsibility for maintaining and updating labels been assigned?

Are emergency exit and response signs (including wind socks) adequately visible and easily under-

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! stood? ~~ ___ -~ ~- - ~ ~ ~

Response Recommendations

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Appendix G. Human Factors Checklist I05

tem No. Question Response Recommendati

Is adequate information about normal and upset process conditions clearly displayed in the con- trol room?

Are the controls and displays arranged logically to match operators' expectations?

Are the displays adequately visible from all rele- I vant working positions?

-1-

- ~~~

-t ~ ~ - ~~ - 1 -

5

Do separate displays present similar information ' in a consistent manner?

- - - I - Are automatic safety features provided when a process upset requires rapid response?

Areautomatic safetyqaturesprovidedwhea 1 - process upset may be difficult to diagnose due to I

complicated processing of various information?

Are the alarms displayed by priority?

Are critical safety alarms easily distinguishable from control alarms?

Is an alarm summary permanently on display7

Are nuisance alarms corrected and redundant alarms eliminated as soon as practical to help prevent complacency toward alarms?

Have charts, tables, or graphs been provided (or programmed into the computer) to reduce the need for operators to perform calculations a s part of the operation?

If operators are required to perform calculations, are critical calculations independently checked?

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-

Are signs that warn workers of hazardous mate-

Does the computer check that values entered by operators are within a valid range?

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Do the displays provide an adequate view of the entire process as well as essential details of indi- vidual svstems?

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I06 Appendix G. Human Factors Checklist

Question __ ~~ _ _ ~ ~

NO.

1 15 I Do the displays give adequate feedback for all I

I - - ~= - operational actions?

1 16

1 I - - + - I -

1 Are instruments. displays, and controls promptly 1 repaired after a malfunction?

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17 Do administrative features exist that govern when 1 instruments, displays, or controls are deliberately ' disabled or bypassed and that govern their return

l to normal service at the appropriate time? - -. ~~ - L t -

I I1

I 11 18 ' Does a formal mechanism exist for correcting

human factors deficiencies identified by the opera- 1 tors (e.g., modifications to the displays, controls, or equipment to better meet operators needs)? 1 . 1 I

I l1 v. controls ' Is the layout of the consoles logical, consistent,

1 Are the controls distinguishable, accessible, and

I

- I 4 - - c

- l - ~~

and effective? -

~~

easy to use?

Do all controls meet Standard expectations (color, direction of movement, etc.)?

Do the control panel layouts reflect the functional

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- -

aspects of the process or equipment?

Does the control arrangement logically follow the normal sequence of operation?

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~- l - - -

, Can operators safely intervene in computer- - -

controlled processes? I - -~ ~

Can process variables be adequately controlled with the existing equipment?

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Do operators believe that the control logic and interlocks are adequate?

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I - I

. -

- I!

Does a dedicated emergency shutdown panel exist? If so. is it in an appropriate location?

I VI. Workload and Stress Factors I ~,~ ________ _ _ _ - _ _ _ ~ -

I

" 1 Is the control room always occupied (i.e., 'I I assigned duties do not require the control room ~

operator to be absent from the control room)? - - , - = i ~~ -~ ~ - ~~-~

Appendix G. Human Factors Checklist

Ii Item ~ -~ -

Response Question __ __ -

and frequency of manual adjust- ments required during normal and emergency

I the adjustments without a significant chance of

' operations limited so that operators can make

mistakes a s a result of overwork or stress?

Is the number of manual adjustments during normal operations sufficient to avoid mistakes as a result of boredom?

I 11

~ ~ ~ I

l j

3

- ~ ~ - I

I' been considered in establishing workloads? 1 4 1 Have the effects of shift duration and rotation

I07 ~

4

Recommendations '

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~ _.

I Is the number of extra hours an operator must work if his or her relief fails to show up suffi-

adversely affected? ciently limited so that worker safety is not I I

1 1 - 1 - ~ ~ -

I ' 6 Is the number of hours an operator or mainte- nance worker must work during startup or turn- arounds sufficiently limited so that worker safety is not adversely affected?

1 I

~ ~ I - I - " I . - 1 7 I '

I Can additional operators (e.g.. from other areas or from off site) be called in quickly to help during an emergency? I

~~ - ~ 1 - /I

Is the staffing level appropriate for all modes of 11

operation (normal, emergency, etc.)? I 1 I

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1

'I

Do written procedures exist for all operating phases (i.e.. normal operations, temporary opera- tions, emergency shutdown, emergency opera- tion, normal shutdown, and startup following a turnaround or after an emergency shutdown)?

Are safe operating limits documented, providing

actions to take when deviations occur?

Are procedures current (i.e., are they revised

1

- ~ -

consequences of deviating from limits and I - ~ -

1 ,when changes occur)?

I ~ -

' I

!I 1 4 ' Do operators believe that the procedure format

I ' ~ ~ 1 - 1 and language are easy to follow and understand? 1- -

1 1 5 1 Are the procedures accurate (i.e., do they reflect ~ - - - ~ - ~ ._ ~- _I --

the way in which the work is actually performed)? 1 - ~ -

I08

Is special or refresher training provided in prepa- ration for an infrequently performed operation?

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Appendix G. Human Factors Checklist

- 1

-. ~

tern No.

Is responsibility assigned for updating the proce- 1 dures. distributing revisions of the procedures, ' and ensuring that workers are using current revi-

Are temporary notes or instructions incorporated into revisions of written operating procedures as soon as practical?

sions ~- of the procedures? - ___ ~ I - - - - ~ __

Do procedures address the personal protective equipment required when performing routine and/or nonroutine tasks?

Recommendations

all. Training (Employees and Contractors) -7-

Are new employees trained in the hazards of the processes?

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Do operators and maintenance workers receive adequate training in safely performing their assigned tasks before they are allowed to work without direct supervision?

Does operator and maintenance worker training include training in appropriate emergency response?

Do operators practice emergency response while wearing emergency protective equipment?

Do operators practice emergency response during extreme environmental conditions (e.g., at night or when it is very cold)?

Are periodic emergency drills conducted?

Are emergency drills witnessed by observers and critiqued?

Does a periodic refresher training program exist?

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When changes are made, are workers trained in the new operation, including an explanation of why the change was made and how worker safety can be affected by the change?

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ResourcesAppendix G. Human Factors Checklist I09 ~- -

Item No. Question

to request assistance when they believe they need it to safely perform a task?

to report near misses as part of the incident _ _ . ~ ~~~

Are operators trained to shut down the process when in doubt about whether it can continue to

~ _ _ ~ ~

l3 1 operate safely? ~. -~

Resources

1. Center for Chemical Process Safety, Guidelinesfor Preventing Human Error in Process

2 . D. K. Lorenzo, A Manager’s Guide to ReducingHuman Errors, Washington: Chemical Man- Safe&, New York: American institute of Chemical Engineers, 1994.

ufacturers Association, 1990.