ABSTRACT
The tasks of Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) operators are highly interconnected, and operators need to engage in teamwork to ensure plant safety. Traditionally, teamwork-competence taxonomies for NPP operators do not distinguish among operational states. This study explored if differences exist among teamwork-competence requirements across the three main operational states in a NPP: normal operation, outage and emergencies. Data was collected from a north European NPP using observations, semi-structured interviews, and a questionnaire survey, and analyzed using a thematic-analysis approach. The study suggested that the teamwork competencies needed by NPP operators are similar, but not identical across the three operational states. The variations were suggested to be caused by a combination task differences and different impacts of three performance-shaping factors: time pressure, task complexity, and proactive attitude to safety. Based on the results, it was suggested that refresher training should be adjusted to increase resilience in teamwork in NPP operation.
