In Wyoming, a serious Forklifts violation carries a maximum penalty of $16,550 per violation in 2026, rising to $165,514 for a willful or repeat violation. Forklifts is enforced for private construction employers by Wyoming OSHA, under Wyo. OSHA General Industry 1910, Chapter 14 (Subpart N) rather than 29 CFR 1910.178.
29 CFR 1910.178 · Wyoming
Forklifts Requirements in Wyoming
Forklifts in Wyoming: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1910.178, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
WyomingGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)State Plan: Wyoming OSHA
In Wyoming, Wyoming OSHA enforces the state's own rule on this subject, Wyo. OSHA General Industry 1910, Chapter 14 (Subpart N). The federal maximum for a serious violation is $16,550.
$16,550
federal maximum for a serious violation
$165,514
federal maximum for a willful or repeat violation
13.9
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, Wyoming, 2024 (BLS)
What Wyoming's own rule says
“29 C.F.R. §§ 1910.176 - 1910.184 (2016) as it was in effect on June 19, 2018.”
The forklift standard reaches Wyoming through Chapter 14, which carries the whole of Subpart N at the 2016 edition as in effect June 19, 2018: training, the three-year evaluation and the truck-type restrictions as they read then. Wyoming keeps separate OSHA programs for oil and gas well drilling, servicing and special servicing, and for anchor testers and wood harvesting, each with its own chapters, so equipment work in those sectors may be governed by a different set of rules than the general industry chapters.
Wyo. OSHA General Industry 1910, Chapter 14 (Subpart N)The duty matches the federal text. Only the citation number differs.
Contact incidents and work deaths in Wyoming, 2024
Wyoming recorded 37 fatal work injuries in 2024, down from 45 in 2023. Contact incidents caused 4 of them (11%). Construction accounted for 6.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Wyoming, 2024
How Wyoming Enforces Forklifts
Wyoming runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Wyoming OSHA, which covers private-sector construction. Its compliance officers enforce Wyoming's own standards, which must be at least as effective as federal OSHA's and may go further. On this subject the rule is Wyo. OSHA General Industry 1910, Chapter 14 (Subpart N). Wyoming OSHA issued no citations under 29 CFR 1910.178 in Wyoming construction in FY2025. Wyoming applies the federal penalty maximums.
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 Wyoming State Plan governs it. Start free
Help and oversight in Wyoming
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Wyoming, the program is OSHA Division (Wyoming Department of Workforce Services). 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.
Wyoming Penalty Amounts for Forklifts (2026)
Verified · 2026-10-05| Violation type | 2026 maximum | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | $16,550 | Federal max · 29 CFR 1903.15(d) |
| Willful | $165,514 | Federal max · 29 CFR 1903.15(d) |
| Repeat | $165,514 | Federal max · 29 CFR 1903.15(d) |
| Failure to abate | $16,550/day | up to $16,550 per day; total capped at 30x the daily amount (FOM Ch.6) |
Wyoming applies the federal OSHA maximums. Amounts are ceilings per violation. Wyoming OSHA computes proposed penalties under its own State Plan procedures.
Key Forklifts Requirements Under the Federal Standard 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 Wyoming: Wyoming OSHA inspects private employers, construction included, under an OSHA-approved State Plan. Wyoming OSHA 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 $16,550.
- 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)).
Wyoming Safety & Enforcement Profile
89
FY2025 construction citations
Wyoming OSHA
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Wyoming, FY2025: Roofing Contractors (17), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (15) and New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (5), out of 73 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Construction fatality rate in Wyoming, 2024: 27.1 per 100,000 full-time workers, 2nd highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 13.9).
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 Wyoming
Which Wyoming industries most often face a Forklifts inspection?
Forklifts inspections reach employers in Wyoming covered by this standard, not the construction trades. Wyoming OSHA inspects these employers directly and may apply requirements beyond the federal standard.
How often is Forklifts cited in Wyoming?
29 CFR 1910.178 is enforced against employers in Wyoming covered by this standard, so the construction citation totals published for Wyoming (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 Wyoming OSHA require forklift operator training?
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 Wyoming, Wyoming OSHA, the state's own program, cites untrained operators directly.
Who enforces forklift rules (1910.178) in Wyoming?
Wyoming OSHA, a division of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. Wyoming 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 Wyoming without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Wyoming is OSHA Division (Wyoming Department of Workforce Services). 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.
Forklifts Guides & Resources
Compare this combination against any other state and standard with the enforcement risk lookup.
Related standards
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 Wyoming
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.
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