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Scientists in Antarctica are drinking so much at work that it’s causing brawls

A bartender serves a beer produced by brewing company SAB Miller at a bar in Cape Town, September 16, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

Turns out that Russian missile producers aren’t the only ones with problematic drinking habits. Scientists stationed in one of the most remote locations in the world are also turning to the bottle at inopportune times – namely, on the job.

A safety audit conducted by the National Science Foundation (NSF) concluded that scientists, military personal, and civilians stationed at research facilities around the South Pole are causing concern with their drinking habits. The audit found that a host of violations, including one employee who was making his or her own alcoholic concoction.

Other violations that were apparently taking place at McMurdo, Palmer and Amundsen-Scott South Pole stations included employees showing up to work drunk, a case of beer stashed under a desk in a science lab, brawls and reports of indecent exposure. Human resources reported to auditors that they used a Breathalyzer on an employee only once to determine their level of intoxication.

Although there are bars and a shop to purchase alcohol on the bases, it is strictly prohibited to consume alcohol while on the clock.

To curtail this behavior, the NSF plans to put more breathalyzers on the bases.

“Since alcohol abuse does occur in the USAP program, workplace safety could be enhanced if [breathalyser] tests were administered to all USAP participants endangering themselves or others due to the influence of alcohol,” the audit states.