How large a weight can a worker be legally required to lift?
Although it is well known that lifting can be a hazard for workers, there is no “magic number” in Ontario’s health and safety regulations describing a safe weight for lifting. The maximum acceptable amount of weight a worker can handle depends on the worker’s build and fitness, the height lifted from and to, the distance from the body, the frequency of lifting, and other factors. Section 25(2)(h) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which requires an employer to do what is reasonable in the circumstances to protect a worker, applies to lifting operations. There are general precautions that can reduce lifting hazards, and an ergonomic analysis can be performed to determine what is likely to be safe for a specific person performing a particular task. Ergonomics is concerned with how the human body is affected by the tasks it performs, including lifting.
Although it is well known that lifting can be a hazard for workers, there is no “magic number” in Ontario’s health and safety regulations describing a safe weight for lifting. The maximum acceptable amount of weight a worker can handle depends on the worker’s build and fitness, the height lifted from and to, the distance from the body, the frequency of lifting, and other factors. Section 25(2)(h) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which requires an employer to do what is reasonable in the circumstances to protect a worker, applies to lifting operations. There are general precautions that can reduce lifting hazards, and an ergonomic analysis can be performed to determine what is likely to be safe for a specific person performing a particular task. Ergonomics is concerned with how the human body is affected by the tasks it performs, including lifting.
