IALA 2014 Conference Paper Focuses On Reducing VTS Operator Stress
The IALA 2014 Conference held at La Coruna, Spain, 25-31 May, played host to an in-depth paper by Todd Schuett, Training Manager, Kongsberg Norcontrol IT (KNC) that focused on solutions for reducing stress in the often high pressure VTS operations room environment. As part of the âGlobal Navigationâ technical sessions at the conference, Schuettâs paper, titled âReducing Operator Workload and Stress Through Cooperative Human-Machine Systemsâ, covered findings from the EU Artemis Joint Undertaking-funded research project, âDesigning Dynamic Distributed Cooperative Human-Machine Systemsâ (D3CoS). The paper described VTS Trials undertaken within D3CoS that sought to establish a relationship between workload and stress levelsâŚ
Second Innings For SA
The Salvage Association is staging a comeback. Having been acquired by British Maritime Technologies in March last year, the SA has now been revamped and relaunched. In an attempt to transform itself from a not-for-profit organisation into one that can survive in a commercial world, the new SA has announced an expansion of its services into all maritime sectors. In addition to traditional hull and machinery surveys, the SA is now offering a whole host of services, including litigation support and expert witness work. The relaunch was announced at a well-attended reception at the Baltic Exchange in London last week. By far the most energetic response to the SA plans came from the legal contingent following the announcement of a new legal fees collection service for lawyers.
