HUMAN FACTORS in LDCs

1. HUMAN FACTORSin LDCs

3. Objective Human Factors consideration in Load Despatch Centre • Physical Considerations • Information Considerations • Stress • Human Relationship

4. Work Environment of the Dispatcher • Lighting • Noise • Atmospheric Control • Consoles • Seating • Supporting Facilities

5. Display of Data & Information • Data vis-à-vis Information • Displays • Display of Gross Power • Wallboard Display • CRT display Formats

6. Stress in System Operation • Occupational Stress • Effect on Job Performance • Health • Rotating shifts • Illness • Physical Complaints • Drug & Alcohol Consumption • Less Satisfactory Domestic & Social lives

7. Rank Order of Sources of Stress • Delays in receiving important information • Consequences of making an error • Insufficient Information • Deadlines, Time Pressure • Work Schedules, Shift work • Workload • Alarms • Shifting quickly from periods of little activity to periods of peak activity • Unnecessary Information • Management • Paperwork • Communication with the company • Communication outside the company • Boredom • Co-workers • Layout of the Control room (equipment, work-space etc)

8. Frequently Reported Effects of Dispatch Operators Stress • Physical • Cardiovascular angina, Hypertension, Stroke • Gastro-intestinal ulcers, Colitis • Complaints – Insomnia, fatigue, tension & migraine headaches • Job Performance • Absenteeism • Resignation • Failure to Perform in Emergencies • Psychological • Anxiety • Alcoholism • Marital & Family Problem

9. Human Relationship Impact of co-workers Peers are important in dispatchers’ jobs which entail • The physically restricted console area at which the job is performed • The shift work aspects • The magnitude of their actual or perceived responsibilities • The common interfaces to others’ areas of responsibilities which they share

10. Human Relationship – Attitude in Load Dispatch Centre TWO EXTREMES Defensive Supportive Great individual effort going toward assuming no blame and little interchanges of information between people Great protective fraternity and much conversation, little of which would be constructive

11. Human Relationship – Attitude in Load Dispatch Centre The Open Group attitude may produce better result because of • Understanding of their power system • Understanding of alternatives • Confidence • Ability to communicate with speed and accuracy • Speed of responses to unanticipated events

12. Human Relationship – Impact of Management • We trust you and place confidence in you ONE EXTREME • We expect you run our system • We expect you to think and use common sense and good judgment in deciding what action to take and then do it • If you think you made a mistake we would appreciate being brought into your confidence and discussing that also • We expect you to use judgement in communicating, that is let the people know about events which occur which affect their work • We welcome your sincere suggestions which may bring improvements to the operation of our power system

13. Human Relationship – Impact of Management OTHER EXTREME • Distrust between operators and management • Little can be accomplished without going through the highly structured line organization • Few guidelines • An overabundances of highly detailed procedures • Inability to take action without referring to procedures • A seeming over-reliance on ‘blame’ establishment as a disciplinary tool as distinguished from education

14. IMPROVING HUMAN PERFORMANCE IN THE CONTROL ROOM

15. Model of Human Performance Motivation “Want to perform” Performance Results Skills & Knowledge “Know how to perform” The Job Performance Goals • Work Environment • “Suitable condition to perform” • Physical • Psychological • Organizational • Business Operating Aids “Have resources to Perform” Business Environment

16. Human Performance • Issues • What Performance measure should be used? How should they be defined? How can we assure coherence among different measures? • Who should perform the evaluation? What instruments(e.g. check sheets, computer generated measures) could be used? • To what extent can performance measurement on a dispatcher training simulator (DTS) substitute for measurement on the job? • Should evaluation be of the team or the individual? • How frequently should the evaluation be performed? • What system should be established for diagnosing the cause of mismatch between goals and results – root cause analysis. • If the operators are performing according to the rules or procedures, how can we distinguish the quality of their performance from that of the rules that they follow? Goal Setting and Feedback

17. Human Performance The Job • At the heart of the performance system is the JOB itself JOB PERFORMANCE • Nature of the job including job pace • Level of responsibility • Variety • Complexity PRIMARY JOB OF A OPERATOR IS TO MONITOR & CONTROL POWER SYSTEM

18. Human Performance The Job

19. The Job Human Performance System Operator decision Making

20. The Business Environment • Changes in the utility business environment impact system operator’s job As well as performance cycle in which it is embedded. • System operator’s decision making must be adjusted to reflect market concerns. • Few other factors • Business culture • Changing external regulations • Shift of priorities • Changes in traditional structures and operating standard

21. MOTIVATION • Extrinsic Motivators • Salary, Rewards etc • Intrinsic Motivators • Job Satisfaction

22. SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE • Entry Level Requirements • Training

23. SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE • Broad Range of tools • Systems • Documents • Procedures • Analytical Decision aids • On-Line Helps • Expert System

24. WORK ENVIRONMENT • PHYSICAL FACTORS • PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS • ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS

25. WORK ENVIRONMENT • System operation is a high-stress job • There are negative as well as positive aspect of stress PHYSICAL FACTORS • Stress to a certain level improves performance. • Performance tends to deteriorate both under the intense stress of a critical emergency and in the absence of simulation or some level of challenge • Complicated tasks are more affected by stress than simple tasks • Complicated tasks are more affected by stress than simple tasks

26. WORK ENVIRONMENT PHYSICAL FACTORS • When dealing with several tasks in parallel, the secondary tasks are more affected by stress than the primary task. • Short term memory is affected by stress • Stress will cause amore primitive style of decision making • Lonesome work can cause stress

27. WORK ENVIRONMENT PHYSICAL FACTORS Means of preventing negative stress • The work should contain variation and opportunities for improvement • The Physical and mental strain of the work should not be unreasonable • Individuals should have adequate knowledge and skills for the task • Adequate training should be provided

28. WORK ENVIRONMENT PHYSICAL FACTORS Means of preventing negative stress • There should be continuous feedback on the performance of the individual • There should be a good social environment and team spirit at work • There should be a social safety net for individuals who fail • The MMI should be well designed with adequate feedback on actions • Disturbances like noise, etc. should be minimized

29. WORK ENVIRONMENT ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS • Career Opportunities • Reward Systems • Management Style

30. What Medical Science Says? Excerpts from Preventive & Social Medicine by Dr. K. Park

31. Definition of Occupational Health “occupational health should aim at the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well being of workers in all occupations” Occupational Environment The sum of external conditions and influences which prevail at the place of work and which have a bearing on the health of the working population.

32. There are three types of interaction in a working environment • Man and physical, chemical & biological agents • Man and Machine • Man and Man

33. Prevention of occupational Diseases MEDICAL MEASURES • Pre-placement examination • Periodic Examination • Medical and Health care services • Notification • Supervision of working environment • Maintenance and analysis of records • Health education and counseling

34. Prevention of occupational Diseases ENGINEERING MEASURES • Design of building • Good house keeping • General ventilation • Mechanization • Substitution • Dusts • Enclosure • isolation • Local exhaust ventilation • Protective device • Environmental monitoring • Statistical Monitoring • Reasearch

35. Prevention of Occupational Diseases LIGISLATION • The Factories Act, 1948 • The Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948

36. VALUES & ATTITUDES

37. VALUES • Values represent basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end state of existence • Values have both content and intensity attributes. • Values generally influence attitudes and behaviuor

38. TYPES OF VALUES As per ‘Allport and his Associates’ • Theoretical • Economic • Aesthetic • Social • Political • Religious

39. Hierarchy of levels that are descriptive of personal values and life styles As per recent studies • Reactive • Tribalistic • Egocentrism • Conformity • Manipulative • Sociocentric • Existential

40. Attitude • Sources of attitude • From parents • Teachers • Peer groups • Types - relevant to organization • Job Satisfaction • Job Involvement • Organizational Commitment

41. JOB STRESS

42. What is Stress? “Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, constrain or demand related to what he or she desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important”

43. Job Stress • Stress is not necessarily bad in and of itself • It also has positive value • Stress is associated with constraints and demand • Stress creates some very real costs to organizations • Stress is additive • People react differently to stress situations

44. STRESS VIS-A-VIS PERFORMANCE High Performance Low High Low Stress

45. Organizational variables • Organizational level • Horizontal differentiation • Authority demands • Job characteristics • Work setting Productivity • Group variables • Group norms • Role conflicts • Leadership styles Job stressors Felt stress Job satisfaction Turnover • Individual variables • Age • Tenure • Personality Causes & Consequences of Stress

46. Global Strategy on Occupational Health Excerpts from WHO report “According to the principles of the United Nations, WHO and ILO, every citizen of the world has a right to healthy and safe work and to a work environment that enables him or her to live a socially and economically productive life.”