The Use of a Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) in the Operator Reliability Assessment of the Critical Infrastructure on the Example of Water Supply System

Abstract

Background: Specialist literature indicates a large share of the human factor among the causes of failure of technical systems at the level of 70 to 90%, which depends on the sector studied. The collective water supply system is an anthropotechnical system, i.e., it is a complex connection between man and the technical system resulting from the deliberate influence of man on the technical system. Methods: The work presents an assessment of operator reliability of a selected water treatment process based on the fault tree analysis (FTA). Elementary events are determined by the operator’s error probability. Results: A failure tree was prepared for the peak event of the filter station failure, resulting from an operator’s error during the filter washing procedure. The probability of a peak event occurring is 0.0580. Conclusions: The developed fault tree allows for the identification of elementary events leading to an emergency event. The operator fulfills its task of maintaining the continuity of water treatment.

Keywords

• water treatment
• fault tree analysis
• operator reliability