Reliability and Safety of Human–Machine Systems in Critical Technological Processes

As concerns railway transport, it has been shown that the creation of a driver’s working environment that includes auxiliary actions and sources of additional information about the route and current restrictions can substantially increase the probability of error-free operation of the driver. Based on the statistical data, it has been shown that the failure-free operation indicator is greatly affected by safety devices, the duty officer on the route, the duty officer at a station, and the electronic map. Primary data sources, such as a driver–instructor, a safety controller, a crossing duty officer, and information from databases on temporary and permanent restrictions, are also important. The obtained indicators and methods to analyze the influence of various factors on the probability of error-free operation on the part of the driver can be applied not only to railway transport, but also to other technological and transport systems. These methods can help in development of effective working environments and support systems for operators in aviation, sea, and road transport, as well as in various industrial processes, where the accuracy and reliability of human work are of critical importance.