In Indiana, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.178 (Forklifts) carries a maximum penalty of $7,000 per violation in 2026, rising to $70,000 for a willful or repeat violation. Forklifts is enforced for private construction employers by Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA). Indiana sets its own maximums, below the federal baseline.
29 CFR 1910.178 · Indiana
Forklifts Requirements in Indiana
Forklifts in Indiana: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1910.178, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
IndianaGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)State Plan: Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA)State-set maximums
In Indiana, Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) enforces 29 CFR 1910.178. A serious violation carries up to $7,000 in Indiana.
$7,000
maximum for a serious violation in Indiana
$70,000
maximum for a willful or repeat violation in Indiana
4.3
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, Indiana, 2024 (BLS)
Indiana 29 CFR 1910.178 Enforcement, FY2025
Verified · 2026-08-081
citations of 29 CFR 1910.178 (FY2025)
$0
penalties for this standard
0.2%
of the state's 411 construction citations
In FY2025, Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) cited 29 CFR 1910.178 (Forklifts) 1 times on Indiana construction jobsites with $0 in penalties for it (current amounts), about 0.2% of every construction citation the state issued that year. That put it 43rd on Indiana's most-cited construction list for FY2025.
What Indiana's own rule says
The forklift standard applies as federal text: training, the three-year evaluation and the truck-type restrictions unchanged. Indiana's own rules govern what happens after an inspector arrives: refusal to permit an inspection and compulsory process, the prohibition on advance notice, trade secrets, and the incorporation of the federal inspection and penalty provisions at their January 1, 2006 text. Indiana also keeps a separate statutory chapter on private sector construction safety, IC 22-8-4, alongside the Occupational Safety and Health Act chapter.
29 CFR 1910.178 as applied in Indiana; enforcement under 610 IAC 9-2The duty matches the federal text. Only the citation number differs.
Contact incidents and work deaths in Indiana, 2024
Indiana recorded 135 fatal work injuries in 2024, down from 157 in 2023. Contact incidents caused 19 of them (14%). Construction accounted for 19.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Indiana, 2024
How Indiana Enforces 29 CFR 1910.178
Indiana runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA), which covers private-sector construction. Its compliance officers enforce Indiana's own standards, which must be at least as effective as federal OSHA's and may go further. On this subject the rule is 29 CFR 1910.178 as applied in Indiana; enforcement under 610 IAC 9-2. Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) cited 29 CFR 1910.178 1 time in Indiana construction in FY2025 (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards). Indiana also sets its own civil-penalty maximums, below the federal baseline (see the penalty table below).
29 CFR 1910.178 is a general-industry standard. Whether this general-industry standard reaches construction work has not been verified for this page. Check the standard's own scope paragraph and the corresponding 29 CFR 1926 subpart before relying on it for construction.
HazComFast records the state of every jobsite and shows that the Indiana State Plan governs it. Start free
Help and oversight in Indiana
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Indiana, the program is INSafe (Indiana Department of Labor). OSHA describes it as “Primarily for smaller businesses, no-cost, confidential consultations help employers identify and address hazards and establish or improve safety and health programs.” It is separate from OSHA enforcement; the employer commits to correcting serious hazards.
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Indiana Penalty Amounts for 29 CFR 1910.178 (2026)
Verified · 2026-10-05| Violation type | 2026 maximum | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | $7,000 | Indiana state maximum |
| Willful | $70,000 | Indiana state maximum |
| Repeat | $70,000 | Indiana state maximum |
| Failure to abate | $7,000/day | Indiana state maximum per day |
Indiana (IC 22-8-1.1-27.1) sets its own maximums below the federal amounts: serious up to $7,000; a knowing (Indiana's term for willful) or repeat violation up to $70,000, rising to $132,598 only when a knowing violation contributed to a worker's death. Amounts are ceilings per violation. Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) computes proposed penalties under its own State Plan procedures.
Key Forklifts Requirements 29 CFR 1910.178
- Train and evaluate all forklift operators
- Conduct operator evaluations every 3 years
- Inspect forklifts before each shift
- Maintain forklifts per manufacturer specifications
- Follow safe operating practices (speed, loads, pedestrians)
- Designate approved truck types for hazardous locations
Who enforces it in Indiana: Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) inspects private employers, construction included, under an OSHA-approved State Plan. Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) can add requirements beyond the federal standard above, so check its own rules as well.
The compliance checklist, the paragraphs OSHA cites nationally and what an inspector checks under 29 CFR 1910.178 are on the 29 CFR 1910.178 page.
What a Forklifts Violation Looks Like
Each item below breaches a specific paragraph of 29 CFR 1910.178. It is a list of requirements, not a ranking. A serious violation carries up to $7,000.
- Operators not trained, evaluated, or certified before operating (1910.178(l)(1)).
- No re-evaluation of operator performance within the last 3 years (1910.178(l)(4)(iii)).
- No pre-shift examination of the truck, or unsafe trucks left in service (1910.178(p)(1)/(q)).
- Unsafe operating practices (speeding, riders, raised-load travel, blocked visibility) (1910.178(m)/(n)).
- Failure to provide refresher training after an accident or observed unsafe operation (1910.178(l)(4)).
Indiana Safety & Enforcement Profile
411
FY2025 construction citations
Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA)
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Indiana, FY2025: Roofing Contractors (75), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (69) and Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (47), out of 503 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Construction fatality rate in Indiana, 2024: 7.6 per 100,000 full-time workers, 31st highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 4.3).
HazComFast count from the Labor Department's OSHA enforcement data: inspections of construction employers (NAICS 23) opened from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, federal OSHA and State Plan combined, grouped by the inspected employer's 2022 NAICS industry. Industry names are the Census Bureau's 2022 NAICS titles. data.dol.gov · BLS fatality rates by state, 2024
Free Forklifts Compliance Tools
Forklifts FAQ for Indiana
What are the penalties for 29 CFR 1910.178 violations in Indiana in 2026?
In Indiana, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.178 carries a maximum penalty of $7,000 per violation, and a willful or repeat violation up to $70,000. Indiana sets its own maximums, below the federal baseline. Indiana (IC 22-8-1.1-27.1) sets its own maximums below the federal amounts: serious up to $7,000; a knowing (Indiana's term for willful) or repeat violation up to $70,000, rising to $132,598 only when a knowing violation contributed to a worker's death. Each distinct violation can be cited as its own item. (Source: IC 22-8-1.1-27.1; verified 2026-10-05.)
Which Indiana industries most often face a Forklifts inspection?
Forklifts inspections reach employers in Indiana covered by this standard, not the construction trades. Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) inspects these employers directly and may apply requirements beyond the federal standard.
How often is Forklifts cited in Indiana?
29 CFR 1910.178 is enforced against employers in Indiana covered by this standard, so the construction citation totals published for Indiana (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23) do not measure it. Whether this general-industry standard reaches construction work has not been verified for this page. Check the standard's own scope paragraph and the corresponding 29 CFR 1926 subpart before relying on it for construction.
Does IOSHA require forklift operator training in Indiana?
Yes. 29 CFR 1910.178(l) requires every powered-industrial-truck operator to be trained, evaluated on the specific truck and workplace, and re-evaluated at least every three years. In Indiana, IOSHA, the state's own OSHA program, cites untrained operators directly.
Who enforces forklift rules (1910.178) in Indiana?
IOSHA, the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Indiana runs a full OSHA-approved State Plan, so a state compliance officer inspects and cites 1910.178 on private jobsites, including operator training under paragraph (l) and the examination of each truck before it is placed in service under paragraph (q)(7).
Can I get free OSHA help in Indiana without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Indiana is INSafe (Indiana Department of Labor). OSHA describes it this way: "Primarily for smaller businesses, no-cost, confidential consultations help employers identify and address hazards and establish or improve safety and health programs." Consultations are separate from OSHA enforcement, and the employer commits to correcting serious hazards.
How often does Indiana cite 29 CFR 1910.178 in construction?
In FY2025, Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) cited 29 CFR 1910.178 (Forklifts) 1 times on Indiana construction jobsites, with $0 in penalties for that standard alone (current amounts), about 0.2% of the 411 construction citations the state issued that year. (Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23; verified 2026-08-08.)
Forklifts Guides & Resources
Compare this combination against any other state and standard with the enforcement risk lookup.
Forklifts in Other States
15 other state plans write a rule of their own for 29 CFR 1910.178 rather than adopting the federal text unchanged. Those are listed first. Compare all of them side by side.
Alaska29 CFR 1910.178 as adopted by 8 AAC 61.1010(b), with the air contaminant table at 8 AAC 61.1100California8 CCR §3650 (operation) and §3668 (operator training)own maxHawaii29 CFR 1910.178 as incorporated by HAR §12-60-50(a), with §12-60-5Kentucky803 KAR 2:313 (Subpart N), with 803 KAR 2:325 for battery workown maxMichiganMIOSHA General Industry Part 21, R 408.12101 to R 408.12193 (permit at R 408.12154)own maxMinnesotaMinn. R. 5207.0900, with Minn. R. 5207.1100 for platformsNevadaNAC 618.342 to 618.410 (cranes), with NAC 618.394 for tower crane plansNorth Carolina29 CFR 1910.178 as incorporated by 13 NCAC 07F .0101
Other OSHA Standards in Indiana
Sources & verification
Penalty amounts and plan-type data were checked on 2026-10-05 against eCFR, OSHA.gov, and the Federal Register. This page is informational and not legal advice; consult the enforcing agency or counsel for your specific situation.
Get the Binder in Order Before the Inspector Arrives. Are You Ready?
OSHA does not give advance notice of inspections (29 CFR 1903.6). Get the binder in order before the opening conference, not during it.
Serious violation, Indiana
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