Open AccessDam Safety: Hazards Created by Human Failings and Actions
Author(s) -
Nasrat Adamo,
Nadhir AlAnsari,
Varoujan K. Sissakian,
Jan Laue,
Sven Knutsson
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of earth sciences and geotechnical engineering
Language(s) - English
DOI - 10.47260/jesge/1113
Subject(s) - hacker , computer security , cyberspace , process (computing) , control (management) , overconfidence effect , risk analysis (engineering) , engineering , scada , perspective (graphical) , emerging technologies , human error , information and communications technology , internet privacy , computer science , business , the internet , law , psychology , political science , social psychology , artificial intelligence , world wide web , electrical engineering , operating system
Dam Safety and dam incidents are treated here looked at from the “Human Factors”perspective. An attempt is made to explore these factors as an important drive inimpairing dams’ safety and increases their risks. Distinction is drawn between the“Normal Human Caused Incidents” and the “Extraordinary Human CausedIncidents” together with the description of their root origins and subsequentconsequences. The first type includes unintentional mistakes, errors and flawscommitted by the operators of dams inadvertently, in addition to negligence, lackof experience or overconfidence. Such failings can happen in manual operation ofdams, or through the use of their Supervision, Control and Data Acquisition(SCADA) systems as in industrial control system (ICS). They can occur also due toflaws in software or even in the application of information and communicationtechnology (ICT) in remote control operations. As for the second group; theextraordinary human factors, they are defined here as those committed by man withthe full understanding of their possible damage. They are done purposely fordestabilizing dams after thoughtful and carefully meditated decision makingprocess and they are manifested in acts of war, sabotage and terrorists actions. Inthis modern age, these acts are characteristics of hackers’ attacks on dam(s)operating systems. This is done through the use of cyberspace by the widespreadinterconnected digital technology with the accompanying advances in thecommunication technologies. As such, these technologies have made remotecontrol of such systems possible. Not limited to this, dams remain now, as they were always in the past, the obvious targets in wars and conflicts to inflict losses on theenemy and to use them as weapons, and for terrorism actions for challenginggovernments. Examples of the aforementioned threats are described with examplesgiven from real cases to elucidate the dangers involved. Lessons to be learned fromthese incidents are derived and recommendations are presented to be followed toavoid risky situations.