Does Daylight Savings Time Cause More Work Injuries?

Mike Bryant

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Previously, I blogged about the research concerning car collisions and heart attacks with the time change. But, to add to the debate, I ran across some interesting research concerning work injuries. The U.S. Department of Labor and Mine Safety and Health Administration found that the number of workplace accidents spikes after Daylight Savings Time changes every March.

Through two separate studies they found that with 40 minutes less sleep for American workers, there was a 5.7 percent increase in workplace injuries, and nearly 68 percent more work days lost to injuries. Also through the use of data from the Canadian Ministry of Transport, it was also found that when Canada went into daylight savings time, there was an 8 percent increased risk of accidents on the Monday after the changeover In the United States, there was a 17 percent increase.

The question is that if there are this many injuries how many other areas are effected? Barnes and Wagner, the Michigan State doctoral candidates who conducted the study, said a logical extension could be mistakes in the office or workplace, such as transposing figures on a spread-sheet or filling the wrong prescription in a pharmacy.

It might be logical that business may want to consider doing less or maybe lightening the work load this day to protect the workers and save big problems.