How SMEs can protect against risks as clocks go back - comment

For many, the biggest advantage is an extra hour in bed – but after the clocks went back yesterday, a range of businesses, from farms to construction firms, that require daylight for personnel to operate will embrace the lighter mornings with an overwhelming sense of relief.

The two-faced 'Politician's Clock' at the City Observatory in Edinburgh. Picture: Andrew Milligan.

The idea of daylight saving was introduced by Edwardian builder William Willett – also the great-great-grandfather of Coldplay’s Chris Martin – in 1907. He campaigned for the clocks to be changed because he was concerned that people were wasting daylight hours in the summer when the sun rose earlier.

It was also argued that longer evenings would reduce energy consumption, helping to boost the economy as well as the nation’s health and happiness. British Summer Time was adopted in May 1916 following the implementation of daylight saving patterns across Europe.

The key benefit of the clocks going back is lighter mornings and making the most of the available daylight. But inevitably it also means darker evenings, which critics of daylight saving claim are more dangerous, putting wellbeing and lives at stake.

According to road safety charity Brake, which is calling for changes to deliver extended daylight in the evening, there is a greater risk of road accidents in November with the advent of darker evenings.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has also flagged the risks of increased road casualties during the darker evenings. Its statistics show that in 2017 pedestrian deaths rose from 37 in September to 46 in October and 63 in November, for example.

Opposition

However, Brexit or not, there remains significant opposition to changing daylight saving in the UK, especially in parts of Scotland where the sun would not rise until 10am if we didn’t revert to Greenwich Mean Time at the close of the summer months.

To help keep staff and stakeholders safe, businesses should take extra steps to avoid accidents as the evenings become darker. Vehicle and fleet insurance must be kept up to date and health and safety policies should be reviewed and revised where necessary.

Staff working outdoors should be equipped with high visibility protective clothing and it is crucial to have adequate lighting installed in and around workplaces.

When the weather deteriorates, signage should be used to alert workers and the public of slippery surfaces that are not visible when daylight fades.

At Jelf, we offer a risk management service to help our SME clients be prepared for any challenges they may face. Even the smallest of changes can make a significant difference to improving safety as the longer nights draw in.

By David Logan, managing consultant at insurance, risk-management and employee benefits firm Jelf