It’s that time of year! This Sunday we will set the clocks forward one hour to start Daylight Savings Time (DST). You may think this practice of adjusting the clock does not cause anyone to adjust their behavior because “it’s only an hour”, right?

Consider the following: the National Sleep Foundation conducted a study in 2009 using data from the U.S. Department of Labor and Mine Safety and Health Administration, which stated that the time change could have an impact on workplace safety. The study found that after DST begins, workplace injuries increased by 5.7% and workdays lost due to injuries increased by nearly 68% – all because employees lost, on average, 40 minutes of sleep. The National Sleep Foundation estimates it takes most people a few days to fully adjust to the loss of one hour of sleep.

So next week, when DST begins, be aware of the increased safety risk and exercise caution, especially if you work in a job that requires a high level of attention to detail.