found this requirement

[jimmyc]

on a job posting.  Applicants and technicians must be able to lift and move 100 pounds.  lift 100 lbs?  wow

[ck454ss]

That actually violates OSHA requirements.  If I remember correctly anything over 50 lbs is suppose to be a 2 man lift.

[Hawaii596]

I have that same general recollection.  I would love to see that reference if you are able to find it.  This is something management needs to see.  Especially in the PMEL world, we haved a LOT of heavy test equipment that exceeds that.  First model that pops into my head is a Fluke 5725A amplifier, or Tektronix 576, or HP 8665B, or many many other models.  This is something all lab managers need to know about.  If someone reading this post could look up the OSHA requirement and post it, I believe that would beneficial to many.

[Squidley]

no limit per se... but there are recommendations based on NIOSH/CDC ergonomic studies. referenced here:
NIOSH: www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ergonomics/default.html#lift
AND
OSHA: www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/index.html

[OlDave]

Squidley has it exactly right. OSHA does not set any limits.

[Hawaii596]

One of those little, but important topics.  I may be taking from the same place as Squidley, but
"...Maximum recommended weights range from 51 pounds (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ergonomics/#lift) to 70 pounds (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, or ACGIH, http://www.acgih.org/TLV/). Recommended weight limits tend to go down as the lifting tasks:
• Become more awkward (e.g., bending, reaching, twisting)
• Increase in frequency
• Increase in duration

There are some guidelines and recommendations out there, and the general law that the workplace has to be safe and free from known hazards (per another web page I read).  This was from state of Washington info.

[Bryan]

Here is the simplfied lifting index worksheet.  Should provide hours of fun.

[Hawaii596]

Emphasis on the word "fun."  I'm getting ready to do some new uncertainty budget stuff which gives me a headache (getting too old).  This looks like about as much fun as a new uncertainty budget.  But, all my sarcasm aside, I will hang on to it, and may use it.  I have have back issues from years of on the road being the "On-site King" and a co-worker that is a friend of yours also has back issues.  I think this is an important topic for Calibration Labs.  We are regularly asked to lift a lot of 50, 60, 70, 80... pound instruments, and not much thought goes into protecting our backs from injury.  I may actually use this and see if I can develop some lifting policies for our lab.  If anyone has a good lifting policy formulated around a calibration lab you'd like to share, please feel free to do so.  Thanks for that Bryan.  Looks like a good thorough document on first look.