Non-destructive testing in maintenance and the role of the human operator

Non-destructive evaluation tests have assumed an important role in the maintenance of a range of complex systems, including nuclear power plants and aviation. A wide family of such testing methods have been developed over the years of which a number have achieved a high degree of technical sophistication. However, while most of the techniques rely to a considerable degree on the human operator in order to obtain good performance, human factors issues have received relatively little attention. Given the general need to assess the efficacy of maintenance systems, an analysis of data in relative operator characteristic terms is advocated. Some future research needs in this area of maintenance are identified