Effects of low-dose alcohol exposure on simulated merchant ship piloting by maritime cadets

摘要

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) regulates on-the-job alcohol use by operators of certain categories of commercial transport. For aircraft, trains, and commercial vessels, operators are subject to sanctions for having >=0.04 g/100 blood alcohol concentration (BAC). This study examines the effects of alcohol (between 0.04 and 0.05 g/100 BAC) on simulated merchant ship handling. A two-group randomized factorial design was used to compare beverage alcohol to placebo while controlling for baseline performance on a previous day. The study was conducted in the Maritime Simulation Center at Maine Maritime Academy, Castine, ME.