OSHA's Technical Data Center (TDC) provides a full range of professional reference and research services primarily to OSHA employees throughout the nation who rely upon the Center to maintain and locate materials to support their research. TDC includes a Docket Office and a Technical Information Resource Center.

Docket Office

OSHA is committed to increasing public participation in the development of occupational safety and health regulations and other related documents, and to also ensuring transparency in the Agency's rulemaking process. The Docket Office serves as OSHA's central repository and dissemination center for all Agency rulemaking documents. "Dockets" serve as a source of current and historical information on Agency activities, including comments received from the public to inform Agency decisions. The Docket Office can assist the general public in the following ways:

• Answering questions about how to access and properly use the public e-rulemaking portal at Regulations.gov, which is a multi-agency website that serves as an on-line clearinghouse for materials related to OSHA rulemaking and non-rulemaking activities, and which also serves as OSHA's official electronic public docket and on-line comment system.
• Providing information about which Agency actions are currently open for comment and appropriate procedures to follow when submitting a comment, which can be done electronically at Regulations.gov, via fax at (202) 693-1648, or in person in TDC at the address noted in the “Visit” box on this webpage.
• Facilitating access to the Agency's Public Reading Room to inspect physical docket items and other materials that may be restricted from view on Regulations.gov.
• Processing requests to authenticate docket records for third-party litigation purposes.

Docket Office Resources:

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Submitting Public Comments

To contact the Docket Office, please refer to information contained in "Visit" box on this webpage.

Technical Information Resource Center

The Center serves as the Agency's national resource for the collection and dissemination of scientific and technical information. It maintains a research library, which contains a specialized collection of technical informational materials to assist Agency staff in carrying out activities in support of OSHA's mission to assure safe and healthful working conditions for the Nation's workers. The library's book and journal collections are primarily concentrated in the fields of occupational safety and health, biology, chemistry, engineering, science, and toxicology. The Center can assist the general public in the following ways:

• Searching the library's Online Catalog, and providing general instructions for obtaining any materials through Interlibrary Loan which is the sharing of resources between libraries.
• Providing guidance on how to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for Agency records.
• Facilitating access to viewing OSHA standards and regulations, and to industry consensus standards that have been incorporated into Agency rules by reference, which are commonly referred to as Standards Incorporated by Reference.

To contact the Technical Information Resource Center, please refer to information contained in "Visit" box on this webpage.