I recommend opening this as an idea (https://ibm-ai-apps.ideas.ibm.com/ideas/). Having a way to enforce a reasonable limit here makes sense to me.
What I would do to implement this is I would export the Library.xml in Application designer and modify the dialog with id="list_status" which is the WO change status dialog on the list tab. Replace the OK button's mxevent from beforedolongop to an automation script action that you define. In that Automation Script I would check how many records are on the list tab and throw an error if it exceeds your desired limit. If it's fewer than your record limit, call the beforedolongop on the dialog.
If you've never setup an action-based automation script, you need to tie a signature option to it in each of the applications (IE WOTRACK, QUICKREP, PLUSGWO, etc.) and grant that to your user. I've done a few screenshots and provided the source. I just wrote this and only did a little bit of testing but should work for your use case.
Library XML change
Script
session=service.webclientsession()
resultBean=session.getCurrentApp().getResultsBean()
# Verify they used the select records or have fewer than our limit
# NOTE: Replace 10 with a value you want. Potentially even derive from a system property
if resultBean.getSelection().size()==0 and resultBean.count()>10:
service.error("emx","tooManyRecordsOnList")
else:
# Call out of the box beforedolongop
statusBean=session.getDataBean("list_status")
statusBean.beforedolongop()