INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL, ERGONOMIC FACTORS AND PROPERTIES OF OPERATORS ON THE RELIABILITY OF SHIPS PROPULSION SYSTEMS

Analyzing the systems in terms of reliability, we often treat them as the technical objects only, omitting human interaction or assuming that operator has constant characteristics. This significantly distorts the results obtained in this way, since human is a part of the system with special properties that can change together with the predisposition of the operator and the conditions under which he operates. These attributes may have a major influence on the reliability of the systems. Therefore, analysis of systems reliability should include a reliability of operator and its properties. In this paper presented the antropotechnical reliability structure based on selected installation, which is a part of ships propulsion system. Also operator’s functions were defined and the analysis of human reliability, taking into account various properties of the operator and the external conditions, were performed. Then, there is assessed the influence of operator and environmental factors on the value of the entire system reliability. The study used the reliability data of the container ship propulsion system equipped with low-speed piston engine, fixed pitch propeller and auxiliary installations. These data were obtained from studies of expert judgments (Brandowski A., Frąckowiak W. et al.) in the years 2007–2009. For HRA (human reliability analysis), HEART technique (Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique) was used, together with the human unreliability values and correction factors developed by the authors of this method. Study results illustrate influence of environmental, ergonomic factors and the properties of the operator on the reliability of the antropotechnical systems. The studies were subjected exemplification on fuel treatment installation as a part of ships propulsion systems