Posted on 10/08/2015 5:59:17 AM PDT by JoeProBono
WASHINGTON, - An audit of the U.S. Antarctic Program revealed alcohol-fueled "unpredictable behavior" by scientists including "fights" and "indecent exposure."
The health and safety audit, conducted by the National Science Foundation's Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Antarctic Program, said "alcohol consumption" on the part of scientists has been found to cause "unpredictable behavior" and "has led to fights, indecent exposure, and employees arriving to work under the influence."
The program bans alcohol consumption in work areas and during work hours, but one human resources manager interviewed for the report said about 75 percent of disciplinary actions taken by her company were related to alcohol use.
The auditors wrote they observed numerous violations in work areas -- including one researcher who was brewing his own beer in violation of the rules.
The report said scientists -- or "beakers" as they're commonly known -- often face fewer consequences than other contract workers in the program. The sentiment was echoed by Philip Broughton, who worked at the South Pole station in 2003.
"The beakers have a license to kill," Broughton told Wired. "There is little consequence for what they do down there."
The Office of the Inspector General recommended officials increase the use of breathalyzers in alcohol-related incidents.
"Since alcohol abuse does occur in the USAP program, workplace safety could be enhanced if breathalyzer tests were administered to all USAP participants endangering themselves or others due to the influence of alcohol. We recommend that NSF review the legality of a requirement for breathalyzer for all USAP participants and establish and enforce a requirement to the extent it is legal," the audit states.
A National Science Foundation spokesman said officials are seeking to decrease alcohol-related problems, but such issues are not as prevalent as the report indicates.
"Alcohol-related misconduct is not disproportionately represented at the Antarctic stations," spokesman Peter West said.
That was a pretty good remake, still like the original though.
Stop flying in the booze then. How hard can it be?
It’s only a matter of time before they have a Dyatlov pass-like incident down there. Somebody hits on a woman who is sleeping with another one. Next thing you know they are at each other’s throats, and all that is found are a bunch of frozen bodies with crushed skulls, broken ribs etc.
Did you ever see the 2011 prequel?...........
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing_%282011_film%29
The auditors wrote they observed numerous violations in work areas — including one researcher who was brewing his own beer in violation of the rules.
did not, I take it it’s worth a look?
The headline should be enough to draw Gary Larson out of retirement. This just begs for a Far Side cartoon...
Ok...that scene always freaked me out. Thanks for the flashbacks!
I read an interesting book on this recently.
The authors conclusions were sensible and didn’t have any monsters, government conspiracies, or even bad planners.
Just bad luck.
Dead Mountain, by Eichar. I recommend it to those interested.
I was just reading “The 4% Universe” and the author pointed out that there was at least one case that could have been a murder or at least suicide there.
Being at -120 at 9000 ft will do that to you.
The beer is spi9ked with formaldehyde too.
For reasons unknown to ME, I volunteered for ‘Operation Deep Freeze’ in 1959.
I got turned down for a couple of reasons but the most ‘believable’ was I was in California and the school was in RI.
Davisville, I think.
Guess the last thing one would think of would be women on the trip and since individuals seemed to handle the ‘do funny’ problem in nice weather, would imagine any unwanted advances would wind up really ‘stiff’, understand it gets cold in Antarctica.
I still think that ‘cold in Antarctica’ is a myth.
How can it be cold?
Can’t get any further South??????
They should totally blame “global warming” for all their shenanigans.
[ I expect childish behaviors from such people.
This is why they all strongly advocate gun control.
There’s simply no way they could trust themselves with a gun, and they assume they are normal.
Therefore no one else should be trusted with a gun either! ]
You struck on something BIG here! Several of my former Liberal Friends, sadly former friends, they are still die hard libtards. Have this opinion of themselves. Deep down they know they cannot be trusted because their subconscious tell them they are childish so they rally against others because they project their childishness upon others. They seem to have some sorta “Maturity Envy Complex” going on.
1. Walter White.
2. Larson cartoons.
Yes, it explains what happened at the Norwegian site. Remember at the beginning of the Kurt Russel movie, the Norwegians were chasing the dog with a helicopter trying to shoot it. This new (2011) movie shows the events leading up to that...................
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