ABSTRACT
Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) are a set of navigational aids established by a port authority or a competent state for monitoring and improving the efficiency and safety of navigation. There are three types of VTS: information service, traffic organization service, and navigational assistance service. VTS operator tools are primarily radars and communication systems, especially very high frequencies, and include TV cameras and automatic identification systems for ships, which are integrated into a console. The working environment of the VTS operator is characterized by two issues: shift work and cognitive overload. Cognitive overload is strongly correlated with the advancements in information technology. Stressors in a VTS operator’s environment, as already mentioned, include shift work and the need to maintain awareness. With increasing requests for professionals to meet the demands of the VTS, a review of the psychological working conditions to which these professionals are subjected is needed.
