I recently had the opportunity to present my PhD research at the 2026 Human Factors (HF) Industry Forum, organised by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. The forum brought together over 70 attendees from more than 22 organisations, including regulators, human factors specialists, and safety case professionals from across the UK nuclear industry.
My presentation focused on supporting and enhancing operational decision-making in the nuclear industry, with particular attention to safety-critical decisions are made and supported in the UK nuclear industry, when unexpected situations arise that fall outside existing procedures. The research explores the role of human and organisational factors in shaping decision processes, and how these can be better supported to strengthen nuclear safety.
The forum provided a valuable platform to contribute to wider discussions on how the human contribution to safety can be effectively understood, supported, and managed. It also offered important insight into current regulatory expectations, emerging challenges in human factors integration, and upcoming developments in guidance and assessment frameworks.
Engagement from attendees was incredibly positive, with thoughtful questions and discussions highlighting both the relevance of the research and opportunities for future collaboration. These interactions reinforced the importance of bridging academic research with industry practice to address real-world challenges in safety-critical systems.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Office for Nuclear Regulation for hosting such a well-organised and engaging event, and to the School of Psychology at the University of Aberdeen, alongside the Applied Psychology and Human Factors group, for their continued support of this research.
Apoorva Amirapu is currently completing her PhD at the School of Psychology.
