Legal Definitions - heavy work

Heavy Work

In legal contexts, particularly in disability law or workers' compensation, "heavy work" refers to a specific level of physical exertion required for a job. It is characterized by the ability to occasionally lift up to 100 pounds (meaning up to one-third of the workday) and frequently lift or carry objects weighing up to 50 pounds (meaning from one-third to two-thirds of the workday). Jobs classified as heavy work also typically involve significant amounts of standing, walking, pushing, and pulling.

• Example 1: Construction Site Laborer

  A construction site laborer's daily tasks include manually moving bags of cement weighing 90 pounds, frequently carrying bundles of rebar weighing 40-50 pounds across uneven ground, and pushing heavy wheelbarrows filled with debris for several hours. They spend most of their workday standing and walking around the site.

  This illustrates heavy work because the laborer is occasionally lifting objects close to 100 pounds (cement bags) and frequently lifting and carrying items up to 50 pounds (rebar), in addition to constant standing, walking, and pushing.

• Example 2: Freight Handler

  A freight handler working at a shipping terminal regularly unloads trucks, which involves lifting and stacking boxes that often weigh between 30 and 60 pounds for several hours per shift. Occasionally, they might need to manually move a single, heavier package weighing 70-80 pounds onto a dolly or conveyor belt.

  This job falls under heavy work due to the frequent lifting and carrying of items within the 30-60 pound range, with occasional lifts of heavier packages approaching the 100-pound limit, all while performing continuous physical exertion.

• Example 3: Industrial Machine Operator (with manual loading duties)

  An industrial machine operator is responsible for loading raw materials into a large press. This involves frequently lifting metal components weighing 45 pounds from a pallet and placing them into the machine. Once a week, they also assist in changing out a heavy die, which requires them to team-lift a 150-pound component with a colleague, meaning they are individually lifting 75 pounds.

  This demonstrates heavy work because the operator frequently lifts items up to 45 pounds and occasionally lifts 75 pounds (when team-lifting the die), meeting the criteria for both frequent and occasional heavy lifting.