Multitasking and interruptions in control rooms: occurrences, reasons and coping strategies

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.