SANTA ANA, Calif., March 3, 2015—Daylight Saving Time starts this weekend, and Contractor Helpers wants to take the opportunity to point out that workplace injuries spike immediately following the time change–as a result of sleep deprivation.

Two separate studies out of Michigan State University found that the March time change resulted in 40 minutes’ less sleep for American workers, a 5.7 percent increase in workplace injuries, and nearly 68 percent more work days lost to injuries. Additionally, the researchers found that sleep deprivation resulting from the hour of sleep lost at the start of Daylight Saving Time causes attention levels to drop—a particular problem for those doing jobs requiring attention to detail, such as those in construction.

As if that’s not concerning enough, car accidents are reportedly 8.6 percent more common on the Monday after Daylight Saving Time. This is an issue for everyone who commutes to work, and a particularly difficult issue for those who drive on the job, as on a construction site.

Help your workers to start the first week of Daylight Saving Time without sleep deprivation by sharing these tips with them:

• Each night before Daylight Saving Time begins, go to bed 15-20 minutes earlier than the night before, catching up on that lost hour of sleep in advance.
• Go to bed at your usual time on Saturday and Sunday.
• Get up at your usual time Sunday morning.
• If you nap to catch up on lost sleep, make sure to limit the nap to a half hour or so. That will make it easier to get a good night’s sleep later.

ContractorHelpers.com is a service of Insurance Partners, Inc., which has been providing quality protection for contractors for more than 35 years. California contractors insurance specialists work with companies on everything from California general liability and California workers compensation insurance to contractor bonds and a “pay as you sell” liability insurance program designed especially for homebuilders. If you have questions about your contractor insurance coverage, contact us.