In its switch to permanent daylight time, B.C. got it wrong
British Columbia’s decision to adopt permanent daylight saving time has been framed as a matter of convenience, emphasizing fewer clock changes and brighter evenings.
But from a health and safety perspective, the province has made the wrong choice. From an occupational health and safety perspective, they’ve made a dangerous choice.
If governments want to eliminate seasonal clock changes, the scientific consensus among sleep and circadian researchers is clear: permanent standard time is the safer option. Instead, B.C. has chosen a policy that pushes sunrise later relative to work schedules.
That matters because human alertness and cognitive functioning is biologically tied to morning sunlight.
Our circadian rhythm, that internal clock that regulates sleep, hormones, and cognitive performance, relies on being synchronized to morning light. Simply put, humans are a day-oriented species, designed to biologically rise with the sun and set with the sun. When morning light signal is delayed, the body experiences circadian misalignment.
Under permanent daylight saving time, winter sunrise in parts of BC will occur after 9 a.m. For large parts of the workforce, that means starting the workday in darkness for weeks at a time. The earlier the workday begins, the earlier you have to wake up. For many shift workers, that means you’re no longer waking up in the morning. You’re waking up in biological night when you’re programmed to be asleep.
For safety professionals, that should immediately raise concerns.
Let’s consider a typical winter morning on a construction site.
Crews arrive before sunrise after navigating a higher-risk commute. Equipment operators are warming up excavators and cranes. Workers are climbing scaffolds, rigging loads, and coordinating lifts. Concrete pours are being prepared. Traffic control crews are already directing vehicles.
Under permanent daylight saving time, this entire operation could unfold in complete darkness.
Artificial lighting can illuminate the site, but it cannot replicate the biological effect of morning sunlight. Remove that cue, and workers begin the day at a biological disadvantage. Many workers will still be battling sleep inertia (lingering grogginess) from the dark wake-up call, all while performing complex or hazardous tasks.
Fatigue science tells us what happens under those conditions.
Reaction time slows. Situational awareness declines. Decision-making becomes less reliable. Problem solving suffers. The margin for error shrinks. Tempers flare.
In a high-risk environment like construction, those changes matter.
Shift workers already face increased fatigue-related risk because of schedules that conflict with the body’s natural circadian rhythms. Municipal crews, transportation workers, emergency responders, and industrial operations will feel it intensify in the winter months under daylight saving time.
But it doesn’t stop there. One of the promoted “benefits” is the extended daylight period at the end of the day. So now we’re encouraging people to stay awake longer at the expense of going to bed at a time that will ensure seven to nine hours of sleep, the recommended minimum for all adults which, according to one study, 41 per cent of Canadians are not currently reaching (rising to 52 per cent in Atlantic Canada).
Even if you want to go to bed earlier, the longer the sun is in the sky, the bigger the delay in the release of melatonin, and subsequently, delay in falling asleep. That so-called benefit of cramming more in because of the extended period of sunlight means a shorter sleep period before you have to wake up for work.
For safety-critical industries, that is a systemic risk.
Safety professionals know that many serious incidents occur early in a shift, when workers are still overcoming sleep inertia and transitioning to full alertness. Permanent daylight saving time not only prolongs this vulnerable window but also increases risk as workers navigate the morning commute.
For industries already working hard to manage fatigue-related risk, this policy effectively moves the biological goalposts.
You may not live or work in B.C., but other provinces are taking notice, having similar conversations and ignoring the science.
When other countries experimented with permanent daylight saving time in the past, it failed spectacularly and they went back to standard time due to the cries from the public. The list includes:
Let’s not wait for that to happen. This is your chance to speak up. As safety professionals, we represent vulnerable workforces that are going to bear the brunt of this change. Contact your premier and let them know the risks involved. Get the message out at work, at conferences, and when gathering with family and friends. We need the public’s help with this.
If permanent daylight saving time becomes the norm, organizations will need to actively manage the additional fatigue-related risk created by darker mornings and longer hours of wakefulness.
Ending seasonal clock changes could have been a sensible reform. But the healthier option was ignored.
When it comes to human performance and safety, policy should follow biology. British Columbia chose otherwise.
B.C. got it wrong.
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