It ’s a unfrequented spirit as a scientist send in the South Pole . On top of the normal atmospheric pressure of work , dearest and lifespan most have to deal with , doer for the United States Antarctic Program ( USAP ) also confront chronic cabin pyrexia , closing off , full point of 24 - hour darkness and a stark snowy background that could frost over the warmest of meat . It ’s perhaps no surprisal that many of them plough to alcohol to chase away the Antarctic blues .
fit in toWired , a health and safety report transmit by theNSF(National Science Foundation ) in July 2015 uncovered that theMcMurdo Stationand theSouth Pole Stationboth have a far-flung alcohol trouble . The report said that the " alcoholic drink ingestion in the USAP can make unpredictable behavior that has contribute to fights , indecent photograph , and employee arriving to work under the influence . " Despite the three bars at McMurdo Station , the report also found that researchers were brewing their own beer , which is against USAP insurance .
Although the material body on alcohol abuse are vague , one of the HR managers judge that " 60 to 75 percentage " of disciplinary action accept in the camp was related to drunken behaviour .
Image credit : McMurdo Station in Antarctica . Alan_Light via Flickr . CC BY2.0 .
The two U.S.-owned Stations of the Cross host an array of employees including scientists , engineers , driver , twist workers , managers and chefs . In the summertime , McMurdo Station hold over 1,000 resident but less than 200 in the winter . The South Pole Station is much smaller , holding less than 50 people during the wintertime . Temperatures at these Antarctic web site can shake off to lower than -45 ° C ( -49 ° F ) during their winter month of July and August .
While this might go like a massive sub - zero bachelor party , the report card also found a very sour cultural divide between scientist and the other workers . The scientist , declarer and subcontractor tended to drink in , eat and socialise separately – like something out of a mellow school cafeteria . There was also evidence to paint a picture that managers were a passel more relaxed when disciplining scientist compared to other workers .
Back home , in relatively warm Washington , the NSF is suggesting there ask to be hard-and-fast rule about drinking on the job and more rigorous use of breathalyzer for suspected buzz worker . However , while the report say that disciplinary action needs to be adequate for all types of workers , there was no grounds to suggest the USAP is planning on addressing the aroused and psychological effect of working in this unforgiving environment .
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