Cognitive task analysis and its comparision with cognitive abilities of control room operators in Tabriz Petrochemical Complex

Abstract

Background and Objective: From the ergonomic point of view, human- system interaction is the base of improvement and ergo-system development. However, in all systems with considerable human role, error and its consequences are inevitable. Lack of coordination between job requirements and human abilities can be considered as a main cause of such adverse consequences. In the processing industries like petrochemical industry, concerning the fitness between job cognitive requirements and human abilities is very important. This study was conducted to survey cognitive task analysis and its comparison with cognitive abilities of control room operators in Tabriz Petrochemical Complex. Material and Methods: in this cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study, cognitive task requirements were evaluated by Cognitive Task Analysis(CTA) and Fleishman Job Analysis Survey(F JAS). Then, base on the obtained results, the suitable tests were used to assess the operators cognitive abilities. Some of these tests are computer-based such as tower of London, UFOV, Wechsler number memory, Wisconsin card storing test, Stroop test, simple reaction time and selective reaction time and the others are pen- paper based including Toulouse- Pieron and number accordance. The statistical analysis of gathered data was done by SPSS ver.13 Result: the CTA results revealed that memory, problem solving, performance speed and precision, attention and concentration, and recognition of incorrect performance are the most important cognitive requirements in control room operator's duties. On the other hand, oral comprehension, spatial orientation, selective attention, time sharing, reaction time, speed of limb movement, near vision, visual color discrimination, peripheral vision, glare sensitivity, hearing sensitivity, sound localization, speech recognition and speech clarity are requirements that their scores in three types of job groups were 4 or more than 4. According to the FJAS results, 58% of supervisory requirements, 33% of board operators duties requirements and 16% of site operators duties were at high level requirements. The second part showed that problem solving ability in 85% of operators was at favorable and upper level. Selective attention in 48% of operators was at favorable and upper level, the rest were lower than appropriate level. Time sharing in 51% of operators was at favorable and upper level. Working memory in 42% of operators was at lower than desirable level and the rest was at favorable and upper level. It was revealed that speed of closure in 83% of operators was atfavorable and upper level and about flexibility of closure, ability of 60% of operators was at favorable and upper level. Perceptual speed ability only in 20% of operators was at lower than desirable level and the rest was at favorable and upper level. Information ordering ability in 97% of operators was at favorable and upper level. Inductive reasoning in 88% of operators was at favorable and upper level. Category flexibility in all operators was at favorable and upper level. 60% of operators was at favorable and upper level concern about reaction time ability. Also, response orientation was only favorable and upper level in 30% of operators and 70% was lower than favorable level. Conclusion: According to the results, all job groups were in desirable level or more for category flexibility. Base on comparison between requirements and abilities, site operators are in better situation.