This chart presents a model of the operator's mental activities during problem solving.

Stages of problem solving

Problem solving consists of two main stages:

• Becoming aware of the risky situation, and allocating appropriate attention
• Responding to the hazard.

In response to a hazard, the operators need to detection the exceptional situation, then to estimate the risks of this hazard.

Based on estimation of the risk, compared to other risks that the operator might perceive, the operator decides whether to respond immediately, or to postpone the response, to deal first with other hazards.

When the operators decide to allocate attention to the hazard, they do few things:

• Make sure that the system situation does not escalate
• Identify the exceptional situation
• Troubleshoot, and do corrective actions
• Recover the system.

In case of failure doing any of these activities, the system situation might escalate, resulting in an incidence.

Updated on 07 May 2016.