Oregon OSHA and the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries developed this calculator to help protect workers from excessive forces during lifting.

This calculator suggests safe lifting limits under ideal conditions.

Your adherence to the calculated lifting limit is completely voluntary. The calculator’s values are based on multiple published sources.
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How much can you safely lift?
Easy calculator for analyzing lifting operations
Click a box that is the beginning
position of the lift.
Overhead

Top of head to
3" below shoulder


3" below shoulder to knuckles




Knuckles to mid-shin


Mid-shin
to floor
Distance
from body
0"
4"
16"
1.
23"
1 hr.
or less
1-2
hrs.
2+
hrs.
2.
Click a box that is the correct lifts per minute and hours per day.
Hours of lifting per day
Lifts per
minute
1 per 2-5 min.
1 per min.
2-3 per min.
4-5 per min.
6-7 per min.
8-9 per min.
10+ per min.
3.
Over 45 degrees
Under 45 degrees
White boxes indicate all lift areas applicable to this weight and repetition.
Your lift limit is affected by the amount of twisting during lifting
lbs.
lbs.
Return to start
No known safe limit for lifting overhead
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for 1 hour or less
29
35
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for 1-2 hours
29
35
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for over 2 hours
25
29
1 lift every minute for 1 hour or less
28
33
1 lift every minute for 1-2 hours
28
33
1 lift every minute for over 2 hours
20
24
2-3 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
26
31
2-3 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
25
29
2-3 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
17
21
4-5 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
25
29
4-5 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
20
24
4-5 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
14
17
6-7 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
29
35
6-7 lifts every every minute for 1-2 hours
14
17
6-7 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
10
12
8-9 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
11
14
8-9 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
8
10
8-9 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
4
5
More than 10 lifts every minute for 1 hr. or less
5
7
More than 10 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
2
3
More than 10 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
1
1
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for 1 hour or less
12
15
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for 1-2 hours
12
15
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for over 2 hours
10
12
1 lift every minute for 1 hour or less
12
14
1 lift every minute for 1-2 hours
12
14
1 lift every minute for over 2 hours
8
10
2-3 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
11
13
2-3 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
10
12
2-3 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
7
9
4-5 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
10
12
4-5 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
8
10
4-5 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
6
7
6-7 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
7
9
6-7 lifts every every minute for 1-2 hours
6
7
6-7 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
4
5
8-9 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
5
6
8-9 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
3
4
8-9 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
1
2
More than 10 lifts every minute for 1 hr. or less
2
3
More than 10 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
1
1
More than 10 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
.6
.7
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for 1 hour or less
8
10
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for 1-2 hours
8
10
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for over 2 hours
7
8
1 lift every minute for 1 hour or less
8
9
1 lift every minute for 1-2 hours
8
9
1 lift every minute for over 2 hours
5
7
2-3 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
7
9
2-3 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
7
8
2-3 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
5
6
4-5 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
7
8
4-5 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
5
7
4-5 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
4
5
6-7 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
5
6
6-7 lifts every every minute for 1-2 hours
4
5
6-7 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
2
3
8-9 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
3
4
8-9 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
2
3
8-9 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
1
1
More than 10 lifts every minute for 1 hr. or less
1
2
More than 10 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
.8
1
More than 10 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
.4
.5
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for 1 hour or less
59
70
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for 1-2 hours
59
70
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for over 2 hours
50
59
1 lift every minute for 1 hour or less
56
66
1 lift every minute for 1-2 hours
56
66
1 lift every minute for over 2 hours
41
49
2-3 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
50
59
2-3 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
50
59
2-3 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
35
42
4-5 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
50
59
4-5 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
41
49
4-5 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
29
35
6-7 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
35
42
6-7 lifts every every minute for 1-2 hours
29
35
6-7 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
20
24
8-9 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
23
28
8-9 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
17
21
8-9 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
8
10
More than 10 lifts every minute for 1 hr. or less
11
14
More than 10 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
5
7
More than 10 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
2
3
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for 1 hour or less
17
20
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for 1-2 hours
17
20
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for over 2 hours
14
17
1 lift every minute for 1 hour or less
16
19
1 lift every minute for 1-2 hours
16
19
1 lift every minute for over 2 hours
11
14
2-3 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
15
9
2-3 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
14
17
2-3 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
10
12
4-5 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
14
17
4-5 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
11
14
4-5 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
8
10
6-7 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
10
12
6-7 lifts every every minute for 1-2 hours
8
10
6-7 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
5
7
8-9 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
6
8
8-9 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
5
6
8-9 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
2
3
More than 10 lifts every minute for 1 hr. or less
3
4
More than 10 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
1
2
More than 10 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
.8
1
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for 1 hour or less
34
40
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for 1-2 hours
34
40
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for over 2 hours
28
34
1 lift every minute for 1 hour or less
32
38
1 lift every minute for 1-2 hours
32
38
1 lift every minute for over 2 hours
23
28
2-3 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
30
36
2-3 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
28
34
2-3 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
20
24
4-5 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
28
34
4-5 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
23
28
4-5 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
17
20
6-7 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
20
24
6-7 lifts every every minute for 1-2 hours
17
20
6-7 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
11
14
8-9 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
13
16
8-9 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
10
12
8-9 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
5
6
More than 10 lifts every minute for 1 hr. or less
6
8
More than 10 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
3
4
More than 10 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
1
2
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for 1 hour or less
25
30
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for 1-2 hours
25
30
1 lift every 2-5 minutes for over 2 hours
21
25
1 lift every minute for 1 hour or less
24
28
1 lift every minute for 1-2 hours
24
28
1 lift every minute for over 2 hours
17
21
2-3 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
22
27
2-3 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
21
25
2-3 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
15
18
4-5 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
21
25
4-5 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
17
21
4-5 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
12
15
6-7 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
15
18
6-7 lifts every every minute for 1-2 hours
12
15
6-7 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
8
10
8-9 lifts every minute for 1 hour or less
10
12
8-9 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
7
9
8-9 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
3
4
More than 10 lifts every minute for 1 hr. or less
5
6
More than 10 lifts every minute for 1-2 hours
2
3
More than 10 lifts every minute for over 2 hours
1
1