Multitasking and interruptions in control rooms of complex systems such as nuclear power plants (NPPs) are often identified as contributing to human errors. This paper aims to provide a nuanced understanding of how and why multitasking/interruptions occur in such environments and how NPP operators respond to them. Through a mixed-method approach combining field observation, simulator observation, and in-depth interviews, we found that the average frequency of multitasking/interruption was 3.19 times/h and 17.5 times/h in routine and emergent scenarios. Sixteen reasons for engaging in multitasking/interruptions were identified and classified according to whether they are internally-driven or externally-driven, and whether they occur purposefully in service of specific system goals or not. To handle them, NPP operators developed a range of organisational, procedural, training, and technological measures that operate across different stages of multitasking/interruptions. These findings suggest that multitasking/interruptions in complex systems should be systemically managed rather than simply eliminated.
Tang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.