Toolbox Talks: The hazards of daylight saving time
Toolbox Talks are an effective method of communication for employees at The C.A. Lawton Co. Each week, a handout is designed and posted by our compliance coordinator, Katherine Jungwirth. This handout is created to freshen everyone’s memory and remind them of various safety precautions.
This week we’re sharing information on daylight saving time.
It’s never fun springing the clock forward an hour. I’m sure you’ve felt the repercussions of losing an hour of sleep. What you may not know are the hazards tied to daylight saving, but first, let’s take a brief look at daylight saving time history.
At the beginning of man’s existence, we tracked time by observing the sun using sundials and water clocks. It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that mechanical clocks appeared.
It’s been a common misconception that Benjamin Franklin created daylight saving time. There have been many who have suggested concepts similar to daylight saving time throughout history. The man known for proposing and creating modern daylight saving time is George Hudson. It was originally created to give everyone an extra hour for personal hobbies back in 1895.
Flash forward to the 21st century, daylight saving time is still making headlines. Starting in 2023 however, daylight saving time will be permanent. No more springing forward or falling backward. Supporters of this new bill look forward to brighter afternoons and more economic activity.
By removing daylight saving time, we’ll no longer lose an hour of sleep which can be detrimental to your health. According to Ronald D. Chervin M.D., “Even one hour of sleep loss can affect some people.” Studies have found that in the days following the time change, car accidents increase.
Sleeping eight to eight and a half hours can do wonders for your body. Any less and your body will begin to face the repercussions. Sleep deprivation can affect your health. Sleep disorders can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, stroke, and heart attacks.
The National Sleep Foundation suggests:
- Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day
- Don’t linger in bed
- Only use your bedroom for sleeping to help associate sleepiness with it
- Create a positive sleeping environment that is quiet, dark, and cool with a cozy mattress, pillow, and blankets
- Reduce or eliminate your intake of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
The next time you adjust your clocks, be aware of the increase in accidental potential while on the road and at work. Be safe out there!
Sources:
History of daylight saving time. Daylight Saving Time. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2022, from https://enddaylightsavingtime.org/the-complete-history-of-daylight-saving-time/
Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, March 19). Daylight saving time. Wikipedia. Retrieved March 21, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time#:~:text=George%20Hudson%20invented%20modern%20DST%2C%20proposing%20it%20first%20in%201895.
Klein, C. (2012, March 9). 8 things you may not know about daylight saving time. History.com. Retrieved March 21, 2022, from https://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-daylight-saving-time
Shepardson, D. (2022, March 16). U.S. Senate approves Bill to make Daylight Saving Time Permanent. Reuters. Retrieved March 21, 2022, from https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-approves-bill-that-would-make-daylight-savings-time-permanent-2023-2022-03-15/