The Wyoming Occupational Health and Safety Act authorizes Wyoming OSHA to implement standards that differ from Federal OSHA regulations while maintaining an equivalent level of strictness. Wyoming OSHA also enforces several unique rules not found in Federal OSHA, including specific requirements for anchors and the drilling, servicing, and special servicing of oil and gas wells.
Wyoming covers most of the private sector, with certain exceptions where federal OSHA retains jurisdiction. These exceptions include:
Employment at Yellowstone National Park
Maritime industries such as shipyards, marine terminals, and longshoring
Facilities operated by contractors processing mail for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS)
Employment at the Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserve under the U.S. Department of Energy in Casper
Warren Air Force Base
Private sector Superfund sites designated for hazardous waste disposal
Agricultural establishments where workers perform “agricultural employment” as defined by the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (29 U.S.C. 1802(3)), regardless of workforce size, including hand packing of produce into containers, and those subject to field sanitation (29 CFR 1928.110) and temporary labor camp standards (29 CFR 1910.142).
Furthermore, OSHA recommends that entry-level workers complete OSHA 10 Hour courses, while those in supervisory roles undertake OSHA 30 Hour courses. This is because most Wyoming employers require workers to have a solid understanding of general safety practices, and OSHA training provides instruction on safety standards relevant to a wide range of job functions.
