Electric Utility Operations

Three Steps to Improving Human Performance in Control Centers

Aug. 13, 2018

To help to improve performance in control room operations, SOS International recently published a new white paper.

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.

About the Author

Amy Fischbach | Amy Fischbach, EUO Contributing Editor

Amy Fischbach is the Field Editor for T&D World magazine and manages the Electric Utility Operations section. She is the host of the Line Life Podcast, which celebrates the grit, courage and inspirational teamwork of the line trade. She also works on the annual Lineworker Supplement and the Vegetation Management Supplement as well as the Lineman Life and Lineman's Rodeo News enewsletters. Amy also covers events such as the Trees & Utilities conference and the International Lineman's Rodeo. She is the past president of the ASBPE Educational Foundation and ASBPE and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Kansas State University. She can be reached at [email protected].