Lack of sleep to blame
Daylight saving time may lead to an increase of workplace injuries due to lack of sleep, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS).
Every second Sunday in March, North Americans turn their clocks ahead an hour, which results in one loss hour of sleep, said the CCOHS.
Employees on average get 40 minutes less sleep on the Sunday night of the switch to daylight saving time, based on analysis of a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics database.
That loss of sleep may not seem like much, but a study by Michigan State University researchers has found that the Monday following the switch to daylight saving time can be a particularly dangerous one, said the CCOHS.
These researchers analyzed information from the U.S. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health database of mining injuries from 1983-2006. Their research showed that there were 5.7 per cent more workplace injuries and 67.6 per cent more work days missed due to injuries on the first Monday following daylight saving time than on other days.
