Chapter 1
General Provisions
Section 1. Authority.
(a) The Occupational Health and Safety (OSHA) Commission is established and empowered by Wyoming Statutes §§ 27-11-101 through 27-11-114 and given the authority to devise, formulate, adopt, amend and repeal rules and regulations governing the health and safety of employees and employers covered by the OSHA Act pursuant to Wyoming Statute § 27-11-105(b). The Commission is also empowered by the Wyoming Administrative Procedures Act, W.S. §§ 16-3-101 through 16-3-115.
(b) If a particular requirement contained herein is specifically applicable to a condition, practice, means, method, operation, or process, it shall prevail over any different general rule or regulation which might otherwise be applicable to the same condition, practice, means, method, operation, or process.
Section 2. Purpose. The purpose of these rules and regulations is to establish minimum compliance standards for workplaces within the oil and gas industry in order to carry out the policy and purpose of the Wyoming Occupational Health and Safety Act. This includes operations related to well drilling, well servicing, well special servicing, well completion and well plugging and well abandonment, and also applies to workers involved in fracturing (fracking), workover, completion, recompletion, downhole maintenance, or termination.
Section 3. Scope. These rules and regulations contained herein shall apply to any person, government or governmental subdivision, corporation, organization, partnership, business trust, association, district, or other entity involved in any aspect of the operation of oil and gas well drilling, well servicing, well special servicing, well completion and well plugging, and abandonment of wells' industries.
Section 4. Definitions. As used in these rules and regulations, unless the context clearly states otherwise, the following definitions shall be understood to have the following meanings:
(a) "Act" means the State of Wyoming Occupational Health and Safety Act as defined in Wyoming Statutes §§ 27-11-101 through 27-11-114.
(b) "Anchor(s)" means a device(s) implanted or buried in the ground separate from the rig structure to which a guyline is intended to be attached; this device is often referred to as a "Deadman" or "Ground anchor."
(c) "ANSI" means the American National Standards Institute.
(d) "Approved" means sanctioned, endorsed, accredited, certified or accepted by a duly constituted and recognized authority or agency.
(e) "ASME" means the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
(f) "ASTM" means the American Society for Testing and Materials.
(g) "Authorized Person(s)" refers to a person(s) approved or assigned by the employer to perform a specific type of duty or duties or to be at a specific location or locations at the job site.
(h) "Back Off" refers to the intentional unscrewing or separation of a section of drill pipe, casing, tubing, or other downhole components at a specific connection point.
(i) "Best Practice" refers to a working method(s) that is officially accepted as being the best to use in a particular business or industry, usually described formally and in detail.
(j) "Bleed Valve" means a manual valve used to release trapped pressure or fluid.
(k) "Blender" refers to equipment used in fracturing (fracking) operations which blends fluids with a solid material.
(l) "Blowout Preventers" refers to high pressure wellhead valves, designed to shut off the uncontrolled flow of hydrocarbons.
(m) "Breakout" refers to the following processes:
(i) The loosening or unscrewing drill pipe, tubing, casing, or other threaded connections using equipment such as breakout tongs, hydraulic wrenches, or power tongs to apply torque and separate the connections.
(ii) To separate a gas from a liquid or water from an emulsion. (See definition of "back off.")
(n) "Bureau of Explosives" refers to the division of the American Association of Railroads which is utilized by the U. S. Department of Transportation for explosive safety rules.
(o) "CBMNG" means Coal Bed Methane Natural Gas.
(p) "Christmas Tree" is an assembly of valves, fittings, chokes, and gauges used in monitoring and controlling producing, injection, and inactive well. It is assembled at the top of the well starting with the uppermost flange of the tubing head.
(q) "Combustible Liquid" refers to any liquid having a flashpoint at or above 100°F. (37.8°C.). (See definition of "Flashpoint.") Combustible liquids shall be divided into two classes as follows:
(i) Class II Liquids shall include those with flashpoints at or above 100° (37.8°C) and below 140°F (60°C) except any mixture having components with flashpoints of 200°F (93.3°C) or higher, the volume of which make up ninety-nine percent (99%) or more of the total volume of the mixture. Example: Stoddard Solvent; No.2 Fuel Oil.
(ii) Class III Liquids shall include those with flashpoints at or above 140°F (60°C). Class III liquids are subdivided into two sub-classes:
(iii) Class IIIA Liquids shall include those with flashpoints at or above 140°F (60°C) and below 200°F (93.3°C), except any mixture having components with flashpoints of 200°F (93.3°C), or higher, the total volume of which make up ninety-nine percent (99%) or more of the total volume of the mixture. Example: Fuel Oil No. 6.
(iv) Class IIIB Liquids shall include those with flashpoints at or above 200°F (93.3°C). Example: Ethylene Glycol.
(A) When a combustible liquid is heated for use to within 30°F (16.7°C) of its flashpoint, it shall be handled in accordance with the safety requirements for the next lower class of liquids.
(r) "Commission" refers to the State of Wyoming Occupational Safety and Health Commission.
(s) "Competent Person" is an individual who by the way of training and/or experience is knowledgeable of applicable standards, is capable of identifying workplace hazards relating to the specific operation, and has the authority to correct them.
(t) "Condensate" refers to a light hydrocarbon liquid obtained by condensation of hydrocarbon vapors. It consists of varying proportions of butane, propane, pentane, and heavier fractions, with little or no methane or ethane.
(u) "Conductor Wireline" is a hoisting line containing one or more electrical conductors.
(v) "Confined Space" refers to a space that has limited or restricted means of entry or exit, is large enough for an employee to enter and perform assigned work, and is not designed for continuous occupancy by the employee. These spaces may include, but are not limited to, underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, pits and diked areas, vessels and silos.
(w) "Container" refers to a drum or other portable or stationary vessel, tank, or receptacle used for storing, transporting, or handling fluids, gases, chemicals, or other materials with a capacity not exceeding sixty (60) gallons.
(x) "Contractor" refers to any person and/or employer who contracts all or any part of oil and gas well drilling, servicing, and special servicing industries
(y) "Construction Work" refers to work for construction, alteration, and/or repair, including painting and decorating. Includes the rigging up and rigging down.
(z) "dBA" stands for decibels A, a measurement of how loud a sound is as perceived by the human ear and is considered the standard way to measure noise pollution and hearing damage.
(aa) "Defect" refers to any characteristic or condition which tends to weaken or reduce the strength of the tool, object or structure of which it is a part, beyond the recognized operating limitations of the tool, object or structure.
(bb) "Department" refers to the Department of Workforce Services.
(cc) "Derrick" refers to a fixed lower component of a well drilling or well servicing unit that supports the crown block, traveling block, and hoisting lines typically used in permanent or long-term drilling operations
(dd) "Discharge Line" is the output line from equipment to a safe area or another piece of equipment.
(ee) "Drill Stem Test" refers to the method of evaluating the pressure, permeability, and productivity of a formation while it is still in its natural state within the wellbore. The test is conducted by lowering a specialized tool assembly into the well on the drill pipe (drill stem) to isolate and temporarily flow a specific zone of interest.
(ff) "Drilling (Drilling Operations)" refers to any and all physical and mechanical aspects, including assembly and disassembly, of all equipment customarily used in piercing or boring a well.
(gg) "Employee" means a person permitted to work by an employer in employment for wages, salary or commission.
(hh) "Employer" means any individual or organization, including the State and all its political subdivisions, which has in its employ one or more individuals performing services for it in employment.
(ii) "Employment" is a condition of having paid work.
(jj) "Established Federal Standard" refers to any operative standard established by Public Law 91-596, the Williams-Steiger Act, which applies to all businesses, including the Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Special Services industries.
(kk) "Finger" means a metal bar or structural steel shape which serves as a restraining support for pipe or other equipment racked in a derrick or mast. (See definitions "Derrick" and "Mast.")
(ll) "Fingerboard" is a rack-like structure that provides support for the finger and is mounted inside the derrick or mast of a drilling rig designed to secure and organize the upper ends of drill pipe, tubing, or other tubulars.
(mm) "First Aid Provider(s)" refers to an individual(s) trained in the delivery of initial medical emergency procedures, using a limited amount of equipment to perform a primary assessment and intervention while awaiting arrival of emergency medical service (EMS) personnel.
(nn) "Flammable Liquid (Flammable Fluid)" refers to any liquid having a vapor pressure not exceeding forty pounds per square inch [40 PSI] (absolute) at 100 ºF (37.8 ºC) and having a flashpoint at or below 199.4 ºF (93 ºC). Flammable liquids are divided into four [4] categories as follows:
(i) Category 1 shall include liquids having flashpoints below 73.4°F (23°C) and having a boiling point below 95°F (35°C).
(ii) Category 2 shall include liquids having flashpoints below 73.4°F (23°C) and having a boiling point above 95°F (35°C).
(iii) Category 3 shall include liquids having flashpoints at or above 73.4°F (23°C) and at or below 140°F (60°C).
(iv) Category 4 shall include liquids having flashpoints above 140 ºF (60 ºC) and at or below 199.4 ºF (93 ºC).
(oo) "Flashpoint" refers to the minimum temperature at which a liquid gives off vapor within a test vessel in sufficient concentration to form an ignitable mixture with air near the surface of the liquid and shall be determined as follows:
(i) The flashpoint of liquids having a viscosity less than 45 Saybolt Universal Second(s) at 100 ºF (37.8 ºC) and a flashpoint below 175 ºF (79.4 ºC) shall be determined in accordance with the Standard Method of Test for Flash Point by the Tag Closed Tester, ASTM D-56.
(ii) The flashpoints of liquids having a viscosity of 45 Saybolt Universal Second(s) or more at 175 ºF (79.4 ºC) or higher shall be determined in accordance with the Standard Method of Test for Flash Point by the Pensky Martens Closed Tester, ASTM D-93.
(iii) For a liquid that is a mixture of compounds that have different volatilities and flashpoints, its flashpoint shall be determined by using the procedure specified in the paragraphs above.
(iv) Organic peroxides, which undergo auto-accelerating thermal decomposition, are excluded from any of the flashpoint determination methods specified in this subparagraph.
(pp) "Formation Pressure" means the force exerted by fluids or gas in a formation, recorded in the hole at the level of the formation with the well shut in. Also called reservoir pressure or shut-in bottomhole pressure.
(qq) "Fracturing (Fracking)" refers to the method of stimulating well production by forcing a liquid under pressure into underground formations.
(rr) "Good Engineering Practice" refers to the use of mathematics, scientific formulae, manufacturer's data and/or experience by a qualified person to determine the elements of safety, such as stress values, strength of materials, overturning moments and factors of safety, of equipment and component parts.
(ss) "Guarded" means covered, shielded, fenced, enclosed, or otherwise protected by means of suitable covers or casings, barrier rails, safety bars or screens, to eliminate the possibility of accidental contact with, or dangerous approach by persons or objects.
(tt) "Guyline" means a tensioned cable or wire rope that is anchored to the ground or secure structure to prevent movement, swaying, or collapse to tall rig components, such as masts and derricks.
(uu) "Hazard" means any source of potential harm, danger, or adverse effect that could impact people, equipment, the environment, or operations that are physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, or operational in nature.
(vv) "Hazardous Atmosphere" refers to atmosphere that has the potential to expose employees to the risk of death, incapacitation, and impaired ability to self-rescue (e.g., escape unaided), injury or acute illness from one or more of the following causes:
(i) Atmospheric oxygen concentrations below 19.5% and above 23.5%.
(ii) Flammable gas, vapor, or mist in excess of 10% lower explosive limit (LEL).
(iii) Airborne combustible dust at a concentration that meets or exceeds its LEL.
(iv) Atmospheric concentration of a substance for which a permissible exposure limit (PEL) is published in applicable government regulations, safety data sheets (SDS), standards, or other published or internal documents and could result in responder exposure in excess of its PEL.
(v) Other immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) atmospheric conditions.
(ww) "Hot Oil Operations" refers to the act of heating oil (or other fluids) and pumping it into the piping, tubing, casing, or formation to remove paraffin and asphaltenes.
(xx) "Hot Work" refers to work involving electric or gas welding, cutting, brazing, grinding or similar flame or spark producing operations.
(yy) "Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)" means colorless, flammable, extremely hazardous gas with a rotten egg odor that occurs naturally in crude petroleum and natural gas. Common names for the gas include sewer gas, stink damp, swamp gas and manure gas.
(zz) "Lower Explosive Limit (LEL)" refers to the lower limit of flammability of gas or vapor at ordinary ambient temperatures expressed by a percentage of gas or vapor in air by volume. This limit is assumed constant for temperatures up to 250°F (120°C). Above this, it should be decreased by a factor of 0.7, because explosiveness increases with higher temperatures.
(aaa) "Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) Monitor" refers to the instrument that measures the LEL of flammable gases.
(bbb) "Lubricator" refers to the assembly of tubular goods, wire line valve, stuffing box, or other similarly effective equipment designed to confine pressure or prevent release of fluids under pressure while permitting tools to be removed from or put into the well.
(ccc) "Manifold" refers to an accessory system of piping to a main piping system (or another conductor) that serves to divide a flow into several parts, to combine several flows into one, or to reroute a flow to any one of several possible destinations.
(ddd) "Masts" refers to a portable derrick that is capable of being raised as a unit, as distinguished from a standard derrick, which cannot be raised to a working position as a unit. For transporting by land, the mast can be divided into two or more sections to avoid excessive length extending from truck beds on the highway.
(eee) "Monkey Board" refers to a platform on which the derrickman works during the time a trip is made and serves the same purpose as a stabbing board but is permanent instead of temporary. (See definition for "Stabbing Board.")
(fff) "Mud Logging" refers to the recording of information derived from examination and analysis of formation cuttings made by the bit and of mud circulated out of the wellbore. A portion of the mud is diverted through a gas-detecting device. Cuttings brought up by the mud are examined under ultraviolet light to detect the presence of oil or gas. Mud logging is often carried out in a portable laboratory set up at the well site.
(ggg) "National Consensus Standard" is a standard which has been adopted and promulgated by any nationally recognized standards producing organization whereby persons interested and affected by the scope or provisions of the standard have reached substantial agreement on its adoption, which was formulated in a manner which afforded an opportunity for diverse views to be considered, and which has been designated as such a standard by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of Labor.
(hhh) "Natural Gas Liquids" refers to liquids obtained during natural gas production, including ethane, propane, butanes and condensates.
(iii) "NFPA" means the National Fire Protection Association.
(jjj) "Operator" is a person or company, either proprietor or lessee, actually operating a well or lease, generally the oil or gas company that engages the drilling, service, and workover contractors.
(kkk) "Permit-Required Confined Space" means a location that meets the definition of a confined space and has one or more of these characteristics: (1) contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere, (2) contains a material that has the potential for engulfing an entrant, (3) has an internal configuration that might cause an entrant to be trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly converging walls or by a floor that slopes do to a smaller cross section, and/or (4) contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazards.
(lll) "Person" refers to an individual, governmental agency, partnership, association, corporation, business, trust, receiver, trustee, legal representative or successor to any of the foregoing.
(mmm) "Pressure Relief Valve (Safety Valve; Pop Off Valve)" means a valve that opens at a preset pressure to relieve excessive pressure within a vessel or line.
(nnn) "Pressure-Vessel" means a storage tank or vessel which has been designed to operate at pressures above fifteen pounds per square inch (15 psi).
(ooo) "Pump House" means a building containing pumping equipment.
(ppp) "Qualified Person(s)" means a person(s) who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training and experience, has successfully demonstrated ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the subject matter, the work, or the project
(qqq) "Safety Factor" ratio of the ultimate breaking strength of a member or piece of material or equipment to the actual working stress.
(rrr) "Shall" means mandatory or required.
(sss) "Simultaneous Operations" means two or more independent operations (such as drilling, workover, wireline, facilities construction, and so forth) conducted under common operational control in which the activities of an operation may impact the safety of personnel, equipment or the environment of the other(s), or a combination thereof.
(ttt) "Spade" (commonly referred to as a "Back Up Leg") is a structural support component that is designed to provide stability and reinforcement to a rig structure to prevent backward movement of a vehicle by helping distribute loads and resist movement caused by operational forces such as wind, drilling torque, or pipe handling.
(uuu) "Special Services" means operations utilizing specialized equipment and personnel to perform work processes to support well drilling and servicing operations.
(vvv) "Stabbing Board" means a temporary platform erected in the derrick or mast above the derrick floor that an employee works from while casing is being run into a wellbore. The board may be wooden or fabricated of steel girders floored with anti-skid material and powered electrically to be raised or lowered to the desired level. It serves the same purpose as a monkey board but is temporary instead of permanent.
(www) "Standard (or Regulation)" as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration means a regulatory requirement established and published by the agency to serve as criteria for measuring whether employers are in compliance with Wyoming OSHA requirements.
(xxx) "Sub-Contractor" means any person and/or employer (see definition of "person" and/or "employer") who agrees to perform any part of the labor or material requirements of a contract from a contractor.
(yyy) "Suitable" means that which fits, and has the qualities or qualifications to meet a given purpose, occasion, condition, function or circumstance.
(zzz) "Supervisor" means a person who has been given the control to direct and/or supervise the work performed by one or more employees.
(aaaa) "Treating" refers to the process of injecting or adding material to an oil tank or well to stimulate the flow of material from the tank or well.
(bbbb) "Well (Wellbore)" means a hole in the ground that is:
(i) Made, or being made, by drilling, boring, or in any other manner, and from which oil or gas is obtained, or is obtainable; or is for the purpose of attempting to obtain oil or gas;
(ii) Made, or being made, by drilling or boring for the purpose of injecting fluid materials to an underground formation;
(iii) Used, drilled or being drilled for the purpose of injecting gas, air, water or other substance to an underground formation;
(iv) A test-hole, excluding seismic drilling; or,
(v) Drilled or being drilled, for any other purpose than listed above using equipment and machinery normally used for oil and gas well drilling.
(cccc) "Well Control" means prevention of formation fluid flow by maintaining a hydrostatic pressure equal to or greater than formation pressure.
(dddd) "Well Operator" means a person as herein defined who has the responsibility, management and general control of an oil or gas well, or lessee, sub-lessee, owner or assignee of the same.
(eeee) "Well Servicing" means any action or work other than the original drilling of the well, related, but not limited to, the completion, recompletion, down hole maintenance or termination of the well.
(ffff) "Wireline (Slickline)" means a slender, rod-like or thread-like piece of metal usually small in diameter, that is used for lowering special tools (such as logging sondes, perforating guns, and so forth) into the well.
(gggg) "Wireline Unit" means a vehicle or skid mounted unit used for well logging or other wireline work; usually includes wireline, drum, controls and instrument cab.
(hhhh) "Working Pressure" refers to the maximum pressure a piece of equipment may be exposed to under normal operating conditions.
Section 5. Incorporation by Reference.
(a) For any code, standard, rule or regulation incorporated by reference in the OSHA - Wyoming Oil and Gas Well Drilling, Servicing, Special Servicing, Completion and Plugging, and Abandoning of Wells program rules' chapters:
(i) The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services has determined that incorporation of the full text of these rules would be cumbersome and inefficient given the length or nature of the standards referenced;
(ii) Any code, standard, rule or regulation incorporated by reference does not include any later amendments or editions of the incorporated matter beyond the applicable date identified in subsection (iv) of this section; and
(iii) The incorporated code, standard, rule, or regulation is maintained at the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, OSHA Division's office (5221 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, WY 82002) and is available for public inspection at the same location.
(iv) The following rules are adopted by the Department of Workforce Services, Wyoming OSHA Commission and are incorporated herein by reference as they were in effect on March 14, 2025:
(A) ANSI Z308.1 (2021) Minimum Requirements for Workplace First-aid Kit found at: https://blog.ansi.org/workplace-first-aid-kits-ansi-isea-z308-2021/.
(B) ANSI Z358.1 (2014) American National Standard for Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment found at: https://blog.ansi.org/2018/07/emergency-eyewash-station-shower-ansi-z358-1/.
(C) API RP 2009 (2012) Safe Welding, Cutting, and Hot Work Practices in the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries found at: https://www.api.org/products-and-services/standards/important-standards-announcements/rp2009.
(D) API SPEC 4F (2023) Specification for Drilling and Well Servicing Structures, Fifth Edition found at: https://www.api.org/products-and-services/standards/important-standards-announcements/spec4f.
(E) API RP 4G (2019) Operation, Inspection, Maintenance, and Repair of Drilling and Well Servicing Structures found at: https://standards.globalspec.com/std/14332082/api-rp-4g.
(F) API RP 49 (2013) Recommended Practice for Drilling and Well Servicing Operations Involving Hydrogen Sulfide found at: https://www.api.org/products-and-services/standards.
(G) API RP 54 (2019) Recommended Practice for Occupational Safety and Health for Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Operations found at: https://www.api.org/products-and-services/standards.
(H) API RP 59 (2023) Recommended Practice for Well Control Operations found at: https://www.api.org/products-and-services/standards.
(I) API RP 99 (2014) Flash Fire Risk Assessment for the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry found at: https://www.api.org/products-and-services/standards.
(J) API RP 510 (2023) Pressure Vessel Inspection Code (BPVC): In-Service Inspection, Rating, Repair, and Alteration found at: https://www.api.org/products-and-services/standards.
(K) ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (2023), Section I through VIII found at: https://www.asme.org/codes-standards/bpvc-standards/bpvc-2023.
(L) ATF 27 CFR 555 Commerce in Explosives found at: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-II/subchapter-C/part-555?toc=1.
(M) NFPA 2112 (2023) Standard on Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire found at: https://www.nfpa.org/for-professionals/codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/free-access.
(N) NFPA 2113 (2025) Standard on Selection, Care, Use, and Maintenance of Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire found at: https://www.nfpa.org/for-professionals/codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/free-access.