For individuals who reside in states that observe daylight savings, last weekend's time change has likely left them feeling a bit groggy this week. While for many the loss of the hour probably isn't that big of a deal, for others, it could be dangerous. A study recently conducted determined that losing just 60 minutes of sleep as a result of the time change led to an increase in injuries suffered by miners in connection with their job, on the Monday following the change. It is possible that individuals living in the state of Pennsylvania could be impacted in this way by the time change.

In addition to an increase in the number of injuries suffered, the study also found that the injuries suffered on that first Monday following the time change were more severe than normal. The spike in the number and severity of injuries was limited to that particular day. Specifics surrounding the types of injuries and how they were inflicted are not clear.

The individuals who conducted the study relied upon mining injury information from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. That information was from a 23 year span beginning in 1983 and ending in 2006.

Of course workplace injuries occur in a wide range of occupations, each and every day of the year. When these incidents do occur, it possible that workers, who are unable to do their jobs because of an on-the-job injury, might decide to file a claim for workers' compensation benefits.

Source: Scientific American, "Workplace Injuries May Rise Right after Daylight Saving Time," Steve Mirsky, March 9, 2014