By and Under the Authority of
David C. Zeigler
Director, Administrative Programs

1. Purpose
    
2. Scope
    
3. Cancellations
    
4. References
    
5. Action Information
    
   1. Responsible Offices
       
   2. Action Offices
       
   3. Information Offices
       
6. Background
    
7. Actions Required
    
8. Significant Changes
    
9. Definitions
    
10. Responsibilities
     
    1. Office of Administrative Services
        
    2. Office of Public Affairs
        
    3. Directorate of Information Technology
        
    4. Office of Management Systems and Organization
        
    5. Originating Office
        
    6. Field Offices
        
11. Requisition for Publications
     
12. Inventory and Storage of Publications
     
13. Publications Distribution
     
    1. Administrative Publications
        
    2. Public Information
        
14. Field Office Access to OSHA Publications.
     

15. Public Access to OSHA Publications
     

    1. OSHA Publications Office: Free Publications
        
    2. OSHA Website: Free and Selected For Sale Publications
        
    3. Government Printing Office (GPO) Sale Publications
        
    4. National Technical Information Service (NTIS): For Sale Publications
        
    5. Federal Depository Libraries
        
    6. Out-of-Print Publications
        
    7. FOIA Requests
        

    Figure A Sample Warehouse Stock Status Report
     

Index

1. Purpose. This instruction provides revised policy governing the printing and distribution of OSHA program publications and outlines procedures for ordering publications.
    
2. Scope. This instruction applies OSHA-wide.
   
    
3. Cancellations. OSHA Instructions PRO 2.1A, Procedures for Ordering OSHA Forms and Publications from the DOL Warehouse, dated July 7, 1979 and OFF 5.1, Printing and Distribution of Publications , dated January 15, 1981, are canceled.
   
    
4. References. OSHA Instruction PUB 8.4A: OSHA's Periodicals, Pamphlets, and Audiovisual Control Plan, dated July 8, 1985.
   
    
5. Action Information.
    
   1. Responsible Offices. Office of Administrative Services (OAS), the primary office responsible for drafting and clearing directive; Office of Public Affairs (OPA); Directorate of Information Technology.
       
   2. Action Offices. National, Regional, and Area Offices.
       
   3. Information Offices. State Plan States and Consultation Project Managers.
       
6. Background. The distribution procedures for OSHA publications have been revised. Changes have been made due to ongoing budgetary constraints and the advent of electronic communications.
   
    
7. Actions Required. OSHA Regional Administrators, Area Directors, and National Office Directors will ensure that the procedures set forth in this instruction are followed.
   
    
8. Significant Changes.
    
   1. Information is provided on how to obtain OSHA publications from the OSHA Publications Office, the Government Printing Office (GPO), the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) , Federal depository libraries, and the Internet.
       
   2. The procedures are broken down based on the type of customer making the request.
       
   3. Distribution limitations have been revised and are based on the type of customer making the request.
       
   4. Field offices can reserve the option of distributing publications directly to the public or referring the public to the OSHA Publications staff.
       
   5. Warehouse procedures are not included in the directive as they represent an internal process for OAS.
       
9. Definitions.
   
   Archived Copies : Electronic or paper file copies of out-of-print documents which are obsolete or are no longer printed and distributed by the agency.
   
   External Customers : Anyone outside of OSHA.
   
   Field Offices : Area and Regional Offices of OSHA, OSHA Training Institute (OTI), Cincinnatti Technical Center (CTC), and Salt Lake City Technical Center (SLTC).
   
   Internal Customers : OSHA employees, state plans, and consultation programs.
   
   Originating Office : OSHA office that develops a new publication or requests the procurement of a publication.
   
   Out-of-Print Publications : Publications that are no longer published.
   
   Out-of-Stock Publications : Publications that have zero inventory and will be revised or reprinted.
   
   Web Posting : The placement of information on the OSHA Intranet or the OSHA public web page.
   
    
10. Responsibilities.
     
    1. Office of Administrative Services, Directorate of Administrative Programs:
        
       1. Reviews, processes, and tracks print orders of all free and selected for sale OSHA publications.
           
       2. Maintains data on OSHA publication printing costs for budgetary purposes.
           
       3. Controls inventory and storage of free and selected for sale publications.
           
       4. Distributes free publications and selected for sale items.
           
       5. Considers exceptions to distribution policy on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with OPA.
           
       6. Follows OPA recommendations on method or source of production and the distribution and delivery plan. (See Paragraph X.B.2.)
           
       7. Reviews content of Free OSHA Publications sheet and provides revisions to OPA for hardcopy updating.
           
       8. Reviews content of OSHA's Online Publications Order Form based on changes received from OPA and provides revisions to Directorate of Information Technology for updating the Online Publications Order Form on the OSHA website.
           
       9. Coordinates periodic review and updating of GPO Sales Items sheet with GPO. Provides revisions to OPA for GPO Sales Items hardcopy updating, and provides revisions to Directorate of Information Technology for updating the OSHA Publications Available from GPO on the OSHA website.
           
       10. Acts as liaison with field on publications. OAS will report monthly to the field and Directorates regarding warehouse inventory and will notify the field and Directorates at time of print requisition about availability on the OSHA website and the expected date of distribution of printed copies. OAS will report to the field regarding warehouse inventory through the OSHA intranet.
            
       11. Provides relevant management information to originating offices, including printing cost estimates, information on distribution of materials to audience indicated in initial proposal, and receipt of materials within specified time frames, etc. (see OSHA Instruction PUB 8.4A F.10.a.(1)-(2)).
            
       12. Provides relevant technical information for originating offices regarding printing options for budgetary purposes.
            
       13. Maintains printing request and cost information, warehouse inventory, and publication distribution information for OSHA publications.
            
    2. Office of Public Affairs:
        
       1. Reviews and approves concept development for all information products (electronic and printed).
           
       2. Recommends method or source of production and reviews distribution and delivery plan. See OSHA Instruction PUB 8.4A F.3.a.(6)-(7) for details.
           
       3. Coordinates timing of publicity for new publications with establishment of publication's inventory by OAS and announces the availability of new publications by distributing notices, advertisements, and/or press releases.
           
       4. Maintains a current publications catalog in either electronic or printed format.
           
       5. Maintains Free OSHA Publications sheet in printed format.
           
       6. Identifies OSHA publications to recommend to GPO for sale.
           
       7. Maintains GPO Sales Items sheet in printed format.
           
       8. Maintains records on all OSHA publications cleared through OPA.
           
       9. Archives obsolete printed format publications in conjunction with the originating office and other parties involved in their production.
           
    3. Directorate of Information Technology:
        
       1. Posts all cleared documents (new and current) to the OSHA website.
           
       2. Maintains content of List of Booklets and Related Publications on OSHA website with the assistance of OPA and makes revisions as needed.
           
       3. Archives obsolete electronic format publications in conjunction with the originating office, OPA, and other parties involved in their production.
           
    4. Office of Management Systems and Organization:
        
       1. Approves directives and forwards to Directorate of Information Technology for web posting.
           
       2. Coordinates special printing of directives with OAS.
           
    5. Originating Office:
       
       Ensures that concept and final clearance procedures have been followed and publicity plan is in place. See OSHA Instruction PUB 8.4A for details.
        
    6. Field Offices:
        
       1. Reserve the option of distributing publications to the public directly or referring public to OSHA Publications staff for publication requests (see Paragraph XV.A.1. How to reach the OSHA Publications Office). Field offices may download OSHA documents from the OSHA website <http://www.osha.gov> and provide them to the public on a case-by-case basis.
           
       2. Distribute publications in accordance with the policy outlined in Paragraph XIII.
           
       3. Submit Form DL 1-1: Requisition for Equipment, Supplies, or Services to OAS for inventory replenishment of publications distributed by field to internal or external customers. Field offices shall provide for two to three weeks lead time for shipping of items.
           
11. Requisition for Publications.
    
    Form DL 1-1: Requisition for Equipment, Supplies, or Services is used by OSHA field offices to order OSHA forms and publications. Items 2 through 12 and 14 must be completed. Use the complete official title of the publication in Item 11. If requesting more than one item on the same form, make sure to leave space between items. List stock numbers (Item 10) in numerical sequence. Quantity ordered (Item 12) should be given as multiples of the unit of issue (Item 14). The unit of issue for a specific publication can be found in the Warehouse Stock Status Report under the "Unit of Measure" column. This report is distributed monthly to the field and Directorates by OAS-see Figure A: Sample Warehouse Stock Status Report . OAS may adjust orders to maintain adequate inventories for distribution to the field on an equitable basis.
    
     
12. Inventory and Storage of Publications.
     
    1. OAS will distribute an initial supply of new publications to OSHA field offices.
        
    2. Field offices may choose at their discretion to keep stock of publications on hand for inspections or to meet a high demand for selected items.
        
    3. Warehouse inventory is posted on the OSHA intranet.
        
13. Publications Distribution.
     
    1. Administrative Publications: Administrative publications are printed items created expressly for internal use by OSHA personnel. Forms, manuals, directives, and handbooks are examples of administrative publications.
        
       1. Internal Customers: Most administrative publications do not have a paper copy distribution. They are available on the OSHA website for downloading. Newly created administrative publications and special items of unusual size or unique binding requirements may be printed and distributed to the field.
           
       2. External Customers: Administrative publications are not intended for public distribution or public information. However, most internal documents can be found on the OSHA website or can be requested by the public under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
          
          Although administrative publications are not intended for distribution to the public, on certain occasions new administrative publications, such as compliance-related directives and specific internal directives, will be published in large quantities, publicized by OPA, and made available on a short-term basis to the public free-of-charge due to anticipated public interest in the publication. After supplies are depleted, requestors will be referred to the OSHA website where the documents will be available for downloading.
           
    2. Public Information: These printed items are primarily distributed to the public. Educational, technical, and informational documents, final standards, Federal Register Notices, Codes of Federal Regulations (CFR), pamphlets, posters, flyers, and books are examples of public information.
        
       1. Internal Customers.
           
          1. Free OSHA Publications: OAS sends an initial supply to the field to distribute to the public. Additional supplies may be requested from OAS using OSHA Form DL 1-1: Requisition for Equipment, Supplies, or Services . Consultation Grant and State customers will receive two copies of every new or revised free publication printed.
              
          2. For Sale OSHA Publications: OAS sends an initial limited supply to the field for internal use only. While supplies last, the field can request additional copies of sales items using OSHA Form DL 1-1: Requisition for Equipment, Supplies, or Services . After supplies are depleted, the field is directed to the OSHA website where these documents may be available for downloading. Consultation Grant and State customers will receive two courtesy copies of every new or revised for sale publication printed.
              
       2. External Customers.
           

          1. Free OSHA Publications:

             (1) Single Copies: The public may order one copy of up to ten titles free within a seven-day time period until stocks are depleted. As supplies are depleted, requestors will be referred to the OSHA website to obtain available downloadable documents free of charge, to the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) to obtain selected documents for a fee, or to a Federal depository library where copies of available documents can be made. See Paragraph XIII.A.2 for the policy on free distribution of administrative publications to the public.
             
             (2) Bulk Orders: OAS recommends that customers download the desired publications from the OSHA website and make reproductions from that copy. Requests for multiple copies of a single title may be considered on a case-by-case basis based on publication supply and the customer's need. In general, if the cost of printing, handling, and shipping of the requested publications is under one hundred dollars, then the bulk order will be approved, while supplies last. As a rough guide, an average size document is estimated to cost one dollar; therefore, a bulk order of one hundred publications might be approved. Requests must be made in writing to OAS with an explanation of the intended use of publication. Only one bulk order is permitted over a six-week period. Special exceptions to this policy may be considered, but are very rare. In limited cases, if supplies are exhausted, arrangements can be made with OPA to supply an electronic copy of the publication in PageMaker from which the customer may print his or her own supply.
             
             (3) Training/Conference/Convention Bulk Orders: If a bulk order request is required for a training class or for a conference or convention, the request must be placed at least one month in advance of the event. The same limits on the number of publications that can be provided by OSHA apply as in Paragraph XIII.B.2.a.(2) above. As publication stocks may not permit bulk supply, OAS strongly recommends distributing the OSHA order form and displaying only the publication samples at conference/convention venues, thus allowing individuals to submit their specific request directly to OAS. Regions may contact OPA to request the 3-dimensional marketing display that shows some of the publications available. If OSHA-related training is offered in which OSHA publications are used as part of the course material, OAS recommends making request for publications with a sufficient lead time so that an electronic copy can be supplied for the customer to print their own supply.

          2. For Sale OSHA Publications: The public will be referred to GPO and/or NTIS for purchase of OSHA sale items. Sales items are not intended for free distribution to the public with the following exceptions:

             (1) Certain OSHA for sale publications are available on the OSHA website and may be downloaded free of charge.
             
             (2) Certain publications, such as Federal Register Notices of specific proposed or new regulations are supplied to the field for internal use and for public distribution. After the supply is depleted, copies can be requested through GPO or selected publications may be downloaded from the OSHA or GPO websites.
             
             (3) Courtesy copies of relevant sales items, such as the General Industry Digest , may be distributed to businesses by Compliance Safety and Health Officials (CSHOs) during compliance visits at the inspector's discretion.
             
             (4) Federal depository libraries may carry a variety of for sale OSHA publications which may be reviewed or copied on site.

14. Field Office Access to OSHA Publications.
     
    1. Field offices may place bulk orders with OAS by mailing or faxing Form DL 1-1 to the OSHA Publications Office:
        

1. OAS Office Hours: 8:15 am to 4:45 pm EST Federal government work days.
    
2. Field offices may obtain obsolete canceled directives by contacting the Directives Officer, OMSO. Obsolete letters or memos may be requested from the originating office or directorate. Obsolete letters of interpretation and similar information may also be requested from the organizations that created those documents.
    
3. Public Access to OSHA Publications.
    
   1. OSHA Publications Office: Free Publications.
       
      1. How to reach the OSHA Publications Office:
          

1. Office Hours: 8:15 am to 4:45 pm EST Federal government work days
    
2. Shipment of Publications: Documents are normally forwarded standard mail. Shipments within the United States should arrive within two to three weeks. Requestor must provide a Federal Express, UPS, or U.S. Postal Service account number to order expedited shipment. Delivery times for international shipments are dependent upon the country's mail service which takes over delivery upon arrival at port.
    
3. Out-of-stock Publications: If publication requested is out-of-stock, the requestor is notified in writing of the shipment status.
    
4. OSHA Website: Free and Selected For Sale Publications:
    
   1. OSHA makes many documents available in full text through the OSHA website: <http://www.osha.gov>. A listing of OSHA publications available online is provided at: <http://www.osha.gov/pls/publications/pubindex.list>. Click on <Online Publications Order Form> to view the list of free OSHA publications or click on <OSHA Publications Available from the Government Printing Office> to view the list of selected sale publications. A search engine to find documents is available on the website: <http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/searchresults.AdvancedSearch>.
       
   2. Public libraries may serve as local resources for Internet access.
       
5. Government Printing Office (GPO) Sale Publications: GPO distributes the more popular OSHA publications at a nominal charge to help offset the cost of printing. See GPO website for details: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html (select Online Bookstore and click on the link < Sales Product Catalog >) or call 202-512-1800.
    
6. National Technical Information Service (NTIS): For Sale Publications: NTIS carries certain OSHA technical publications and archived documents. See NTIS website for details: <http://www.ntis.gov> or call 800-553-NTIS (6847); (703-605-6000 in Virginia).
    
7. Federal Depository Libraries: Many OSHA publications (current and out-of-print, free and for sale) are available through the Federal depository library system. There are approximately 1,400 Federal depository libraries throughout the United States and its territories, at least one in almost every Congressional District. All provide free public access to a wide variety of Federal government information in both print and electronic formats, and have expert staff available to assist users. Those Federal depository libraries which are designated as Regional libraries (currently 53) receive all materials distributed through the Federal Depository Library Program. Other libraries select materials according to the needs of their communities. The location of a Federal depository library may be found by accessing the GPO website at: <http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/tools.html> and clicking on the link to search "Depository Library in Your Area". Some of the targeted libraries may have online search capabilities permitting the public to determine quickly and easily if a desired publication is available.
    
8. Out-of-Print Publications: If an out-of-print OSHA publication is not available on the OSHA website, CD-ROM (offered for sale through GPO), or Federal depository library, then requestor may initiate a FOIA request for the document.
    
9. FOIA Requests: The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows anyone to request copies of records not normally prepared for public distribution. All FOIA requests must be in writing and requestors may have to pay fees covering processing costs. The instructions, How to Make a FOIA Request, are available at the OSHA website: <http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/foia/howto-foia.html>.
    

Figure A - Sample Warehouse Stock Status Report - [PDF 5K]

consultation grant

Federal depository libraries

Federal depository library

field office

FOIA

GPO

NTIS

OAS

OSHA

State