Do Construction Accidents Increase In The Spring?

Construction work is challenging and demanding, but many people choose this career. It pays well, and there are usually plentiful jobs. However, construction work is hazardous and can become even more dangerous in the spring. Learn more about how construction accidents may rise in springtime. Our Boone County construction accident lawyers at Fisk & Monteleone can help if you are injured in a construction accident.

Evidence Suggests More Work-Related Accidents In The Spring

Michigan State University researchers recently concluded a study that found changing to Daylight Saving Time (DST) every March may lead to more job-related accidents. The scientists found that switching to DST, which involves moving clocks ahead one hour in mid-March, causes a 40-minute sleep loss for US workers. This decrease in sleep time causes 5.7% more workplace injuries the day after Daylight Saving Time starts.

Workplace injuries also cause lost time at work. The industry research found that the week after DST goes into effect nets 70% more days lost to job-related injuries. The study was published in a recent Journal of Applied Psychology edition.

How Does Losing 40 Minutes Of Sleep Cause More Workplace Accidents?

Some people do not think losing 40 minutes of sleep for a few days matters. However, Michigan State scientists reported that losing that much sleep can cause more fatigue at work as workers adjust to the time change. In addition, being tired can be hazardous, even fatal, in dangerous professions such as construction and trucking.

Canadian Research Also Suggests Sleep Loss Increases Accidents

A University of British Columbia study also supports the conclusion that sleep loss can cause more job-related accidents after DST begins. This study determined that accidents increased by 8% the week after the switch when Canada started Daylight Saving Time every spring.

A related study using US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data found that sleep loss probably caused a 17% increase in auto accidents and job-related injuries the Monday after the change. The research suggests that the human body needs a few days to adapt, even with a one-hour time change.

If you work in construction, you can reduce your chances of accidents by sleeping more for a few days before the DST change. Also, consider leaving your job an hour earlier for the first week after the time switch. Your body will be used to it being 5 PM, for example, when it is 4 PM. As a result, you could be more fatigued at the end of a hard work day when DST begins.

Other Causes Of Springtime Construction Accidents

There are other reasons that construction accidents may rise every spring. There is more evening activity with more daylight hours and warmer weather. In the construction industry, more construction projects are underway in sunny, warm temperatures. In road construction zones, there are more job-related injuries and auto accidents because there is more traffic and work is underway.

Contact Our Boone County Construction Accident Lawyers

Were you hurt in a construction accident on the job? Or, were you injured in a construction area as a bystander because of worker fatigue? Then, you could be eligible for compensation in a personal injury lawsuit. Please contact our Boone County construction accident lawyers at Fisk & Monteleone at (815) 962-0044 for more information.