Workers spent 61.0 percent of the workday standing or walking in jobs surveyed in 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

The average maximum weight lifted or carried as required in all civilian (private industry and state and local government) jobs was about 36 pounds.

Thirty-seven percent of jobs allowed workers the flexibility to choose alternating between sitting and standing or walking. Overhead reaching was required for 65.9 percent of jobs, while climbing ramps or stairs was required for 29.0 percent of jobs.

Time spent on the job performing physical activities is published in hours and as a percentage of the day. The latter is standardized to account for the work schedule. Workers, on average, spent about 3 hours (or 39.0 percent of the workday) sitting and spent almost four and a half hours (or 61.0 percent of the workday) standing or walking per workday.

About 20.3 percent of jobs exposed workers to moving mechanical parts throughout the workday.

Personal protective equipment was used by 10.7 percent of workers to mitigate the risk of serious workplace injuries or illnesses associated with moving mechanical parts.

Physical demands:

• Workers in construction and extraction jobs stood or walked an average of nearly 7 hours per workday.

• The average maximum weight lifted or carried required by construction and extraction jobs was about 66 pounds.

• Nearly a quarter (24.6 percent) of food preparation and serving related jobs required climbing ramps or structure-related stairs.

Environmental requirements:  

• More than 3 in 4 (77.0 percent) building and grounds maintenance jobs required working outdoors at some point during the workday.

• All landscaping and groundskeeping jobs required working outdoors at some point during the workday, and 88.3 percent of jobs required working outdoors constantly. Constantly is defined as 67 percent or more of the workday.

• Most installation, maintenance, and repair jobs (69.5 percent) exposed workers to moving mechanical parts. For 35.7 percent of workers, personal protective equipment was used to mitigate risks associated with this exposure.

Source: www.bls.gov/ors