Skip to content
ES Request a palletizer quote
Request a palletizer quote

Versión en español

NOM-036-1-STPS-2018: manual handling limits in Mexico and when to automate

What this standard requires, on one page, with the section numbers so you can check the original.

NOM-036-1-STPS-2018 is Mexico's federal standard on ergonomic risk from manual handling. A NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana) is a binding federal regulation, and this one comes from the STPS, the labor ministry. It covers every workplace in Mexico where workers handle loads by hand, whoever owns the plant. It limits manual handling to 25 kg for men aged 18 to 45 and 20 kg for women of that age (Table 1), and cumulative mass to 10,000 kg per 8-hour workday over distances under 10 m. It was published in the DOF, Mexico's official gazette, on November 23, 2018. It applies to loads of 3 kg or more handled more than once a day.

How much can each person lift or lower?

Table 1 of the standard (section 8.3). It is a ceiling, and it gets adjusted downward for frequency, distance, posture and grip.

Maximum mass by age and gender, under NOM-036-1-STPS-2018
WhoMaximum
Men aged 18 to 4525 kg
Women aged 18 to 4520 kg
Men over 45 (*)20 kg
Women over 45 (*)15 kg
Pregnant women and up to 10 weeks after giving birth10 kg
Workers under 187 kg

Maximum mass by age and gender: NOM-036-1-STPS-2018, Table 1. Pregnancy and the 10 weeks after childbirth: section 8.3(b)(1). DOF November 23, 2018. (*) Over 45: a medical evaluation is required; if the physician approves, they can go up to the limit for ages 18 to 45.

Cumulative mass: the tightest limit on a production line

10,000 kg per 8-hour workday, over distances under 10 m. With 25 kg pieces, that is 400 in the shift, one every 72 seconds.

If the distance reaches 20 m, the cap drops to 6,000 kg per workday (section 8.3(b)(5)). The standard does not say whether this counts per person or per crew: check with your safety team. A line running 4 bags of 25 kg per minute moves 48 metric tons in 8 hours, which takes several people or a machine. Palletizing bags with a robot.

What does NOM-036 require of you as the employer?

Section 5. The standard took effect on January 2, 2020; sections 5.1, 8.3(b)(2) (Table 1), 8.4 and 8.5 and chapter 7 have been binding since March 31, 2024 (agreement published in the DOF on September 23, 2022).

  1. Risk assessment

    Identify and analyze ergonomic risk factors (5.1, chapter 7).

  2. Prevention and control

    Adopt measures and, if the assessment calls for it, an ergonomics program with a deadline of no more than one year (5.2, chapter 8).

  3. Medical surveillance

    Exams for the workers exposed (5.3, chapter 9).

  4. Information and training

    Tell workers about the possible health effects and train them (5.4 and 5.5, chapter 10).

  5. Records

    Keep records of preventive measures and exams (5.6).

If your load exceeds the limits

The standard gives four ways out, and only the last one takes people off the load. The table shows when each one is enough.

MeasureWhat the standard saysWhen it is enough
Team liftTwo people carry two thirds of the sum of their capacities; three people, halfOccasional pieces; on a continuous line it falls short
Split the loadSmaller bags or packagesWhen the product and the customer allow it
Auxiliary equipmentCarts, hand trucks, pallet jacksMoving loads. It helps little with lifting and stacking
MachineryEquipment that does the work in place of the personHigh volume, 2 or 3 shifts. Manual vs robotic

For information only; your legal counsel in Mexico should review your case. Source: NOM-036-1-STPS-2018, Diario Oficial de la Federación, November 23, 2018 (in Spanish), sections 2, 4.14, 5, 8.3 and transitory articles. Checked November 3, 2026. The STPS applies penalties through inspections.

Questions about NOM-036

How to stack 25 kg bags

How much weight can a worker lift under NOM-036?
Table 1 of NOM-036-1-STPS-2018 sets a maximum of 25 kg for men aged 18 to 45, 20 kg for women aged 18 to 45 and for men over 45, 15 kg for women over 45 and 7 kg for workers under 18. The limit for a given task is adjusted for frequency, distance, posture and grip, and it can never go above those figures.
How much weight can a woman lift at work?
Up to 20 kg from ages 18 to 45, and up to 15 kg over 45, with a medical evaluation. Women who are pregnant or up to 10 weeks after giving birth must not lift more than 10 kg.
What counts as manual handling?
Lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying or stacking materials with the physical effort of one or more people, when the load is 3 kg or more and the task is routine, meaning more than once a day.
What is NOM-036 and what is it for?
It is the Mexican official standard on ergonomic risk factors at work. It requires workplaces to identify, analyze, prevent and control the risks of manual handling. It was published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación on November 23, 2018.
Does NOM-036 require me to buy a robot?
No. It requires a risk assessment, prevention or control measures, medical surveillance, information and training. When the load exceeds the limits, it accepts team lifts, auxiliary equipment, machinery or splitting the load. A robotic palletizer is one of several possible measures.
What is the maximum cumulative load in a workday?
The standard limits cumulative mass to 10,000 kg per 8-hour workday over distances under 10 m, and to 6,000 kg over distances up to 20 m. At 25 kg per piece, 10,000 kg is 400 pieces in the shift.

If your risk assessment points to machinery, send your load and shifts. We reply with a version and a price range.

Delivered in 12 weeks. Public price reference: US$120,000 (CSi) to US$550,000 (Kaufman), as of November 3, 2026.

Request a palletizer quote

Or call sales: +52 (444) 279 0953 · WhatsApp

  1. 1What you palletize
  2. 2At what speed
  3. 3How many lines
  4. 4Your pallet
  5. 5How many shifts
  6. 6Space and city