Overview
IEC 63351:2024 is an international standard published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) focusing on nuclear facilities and human factors engineering (HFE). This standard outlines the core principles and requirements for implementing an HFE programme in the design of human-machine interfaces (HMI) throughout the lifecycle of nuclear facilities. The main emphasis is on improving control rooms and control functions, ensuring that human interactions with technology and operational systems are optimized for safety, reliability, and efficiency.
IEC 63351:2024 applies to a wide range of nuclear facilities, including:
- Nuclear power plants (NPPs)
- Research reactors
- Uranium enrichment and nuclear fuel fabrication facilities
- Spent fuel storage and reprocessing plants
The standard provides a comprehensive framework for integrating human factors into HMI design and addresses plant modifications over time. It is intended for use by facility operators, system designers, evaluators, and regulatory authorities.
Key Topics
The IEC 63351:2024 standard covers several essential areas:
- HFE Programme Management: Establishing and managing multidisciplinary teams, defining responsibilities, and integrating human factors activities with overall plant design.
- Analysis for Human Interaction: Reviewing operational experience, performing functional and task analysis, and identifying critical human tasks.
- Design Guidance: Practical principles for designing control centres, local control points, and HMIs that support operator performance and safety.
- Procedures and Training: Developing effective operating procedures and robust training programmes based on HFE insights to ensure human reliability.
- Verification and Validation (V&V): Conducting systematic verification and integrated system validation to confirm design adequacy and operational effectiveness.
- Change Management: Monitoring, verifying, and controlling modifications to plant systems and HMIs throughout operational life.
- Performance Monitoring: Ongoing assessment and resolution processes to ensure human performance aligns with safety and operational goals.
IEC 63351:2024 builds on international best practices and guidance from related organizations (such as the IAEA’s safety guides) while referencing established ergonomic standards for control centre design (including ISO 11064 series).
Applications
IEC 63351:2024 delivers practical value across the nuclear sector by:
- Enhancing Safety and Reliability: Structured integration of human factors in HMI design reduces operator errors and improves the ability to respond to normal, abnormal, and emergency conditions.
- Supporting Regulatory Compliance: Providing a clear, standardized approach to meet international and national regulatory expectations for HFE and control room design.
- Facilitating Lifecycle Management: Enabling consistent application of HFE principles during initial design, commissioning, operation, and plant modifications.
- Improving Operator Performance: Ensuring that HMIs are intuitive, effective, and tailored to operator capabilities through functional analysis and tailored training.
- Optimizing Plant Modernization: Guiding safe upgrades or retrofits of existing plants, especially where new digital HMIs and automation are introduced.
This standard is relevant to utilities, engineering contractors, safety assessors, and licensing authorities involved in nuclear facility design or assessment.
Related Standards
IEC 63351:2024 aligns directly with a broad ecosystem of standards governing nuclear facilities and ergonomics, including:
- IEC 60964: Control room design
- IEC 60965: Supplementary control room for reactor shutdown
- IEC 61771/61772/61839/62241/62954: Various aspects of control room systems, operator controls, and alarm functions
- IEC 61513 & IEC 63046: General requirements for I&C and electrical power systems in NPPs
- IEC 62645: Nuclear facility cybersecurity
- IEC 63260: Integrating human reliability analysis into probabilistic safety assessments
- ISO 11064 series: Ergonomic design of control centres
- IAEA SSG-51: Human factors engineering guidance for nuclear power plant design
When implementing IEC 63351:2024, organizations are encouraged to consult these related documents for complementary requirements and best practices.
Keywords: IEC 63351:2024, human factors engineering, nuclear facilities, human-machine interface, HMI design, control rooms, nuclear power plants, ergonomics, safety standards, lifecycle management.