A 45-year-old delivery driver was unloading appliances by himself at a condominium complex.The appliances were double stacked in his truck so he had to unstack them. Unfortunately, his hand truck did not have brakes, so he found himself running down the trailer ramp with appliances such as refrigerators that weighed over 400 pounds. Because there was no ramp or wheelchair access available to him, he had to haul heavy appliances over the curb. Part way through his 12-hour-day, he felt a snap and burning ache in his left arm. Also, his knees began to hurt going down stairs or ramps. When he finally went to the doctor, he was diagnosed with strains to his elbow, back and right knee. He lost 9 days of work time.

Stress has many causes, both inside and outside the workplace. In fact, conflicts between the two are referred to as work/life conflict. There are things you can do to minimize the effects of stress in the workplace. Use this poster in your next safety meeting, then post it where workers will see it.