From a fascinating article on working in the Arctic: Is Your Workplace as Rough as The Arctic? Emphasis added.
You must attend safety training to be present on a natural gas drill site. The section of the safety manual that covers polar bear attacks reads:
If a Bear Approaches:
- DO NOT APPROACH THE BEAR
- Seek shelter (camp, vehicle, under a vehicle)
- Shout or make noise
- Drop a pack or item of clothing if retreating. It’s always a good idea to move slowly away from a polar bear while leaving a trail of items. The polar bear is a curious animal and will to stop to inspect each item giving you time to free yourself of the danger. If you’re near shelter and confronted by a polar bear, remember, move slowly towards that shelter and leave the bear plenty of items to keep it distracted.
- Gather together in a group; make yourself look bigger by holding a jacket over your head.
If a Bear Attacks:
- Find safe shelter.
- Defend yourself.
- If you encounter a female defending her cubs, get away from the bears and remove yourself as a threat to the cubs. Do not fight back.
Polar bear attacks occur most often at sites of human habitation, such as hunting camps, weather stations, and towns. Compared to other bears, polar bears are more willing to consider humans as prey. Consequently, the person attacked is usually killed unless the polar bear is killed first.
Now you know!