S afety M oment

1. November 2014 SafetyMoment Safety Safely Adjust to the End of Daylight Savings Time • November marks the end of Daylight Savings Time. We turn our clocks back one hour and welcome the extra hour of sleep! • Time changes are intended to better align waking activity with daylight periods. However, they often have negative side effects on individuals and subsequently, organizations: • The end of Daylight Savings Time ushers an earlier onset of darkness around the time of rush hour, when traffic is at a peak and many of us are making our way home from work. This increases the risk of vehicular accidents. We should make every effort to drive more defensively! • The end of Daylight Savings Time can leave many feeling fatigued, which can pose safety risks both at home and in the workplace. Sluggish behavior and disorientation upon waking are common psychological consequences. Rest up and eat healthy, light meals until your body has adjusted! • Following time changes, employees in 2008 had 5.7% more workplace injuries, and lost 67.6% more work days because of their injuries. • Statistics courtesy of Journal of Applied Psychology, 2009, Vol. 94