For this reason, at least for DOT drug testing, the employer has a copy of the chain of custody form. Assuming the employer has a well-informed DER, they can carefully check the CCF for errors. We will discuss later the errors that the CCF can report. The chain of custody form helps all participants in the testing process identify and resolve problems that arise. Therefore, it helps employers and DERs identify issues that could otherwise lead to enforcement action taken against them by a DOT organization in the case of DOT testing. This will help you understand what a chain of custody form is and what its purpose is. But how does it actually work to detect errors in the testing process? That being said, in some cases, a collector may use a non-DOT form for a DOT test. An example of these special cases would be a post-accident test or a test with reasonable suspicion when there is not enough time to obtain a federal CCF. For laboratories, there is a correctable error: when the signature of a collector is omitted from the declaration of certification of the Chain of Custody form.
In this case, the laboratory must receive written documentation from the collector attesting that the information on the CCF is correct. Both DOT and non-DOT drug testing require Chain of Custody Forms (CCF). These forms are used to track a sample from the moment it is taken until the final results are reported. THE CCFs shall ensure that all samples are handled correctly. The federal Chain of Custody form is used for DOT drug testing. It has five copies or parts. Each part is used by a different party involved in the testing process. No, a federal chain of custody form cannot be used in a non-DOT drug test. The opposite is also happening; A non-DOT chain of custody form cannot be used for a DOT drug test. More information on the roles and responsibilities of the DER can be found in our contribution to the six main roles of the DER.
It provides a good introduction to the title of the position of the employer`s designated representative. The purpose of the chain of custody form is to ensure that the sample is handled in accordance with mandatory guidelines for federal drug testing programs in the workplace. These guidelines set out in detail the rules for drug testing, and the CCF ensures that each step of the testing process is properly completed and documented. All drug tests should include a CCF and a procedure to ensure the integrity of the sample to be tested. This includes laboratory tests and instant drug tests. A multi-part CCF form (AADT`s CCF Medtox is 5 pieces) and other consumables are used to complete the CCF process. Test documents and materials must support the trace of the CCF throughout the process and include the type of packaging, sample seals and other relevant information included for verification, from collection to transport through handling to the respective laboratory test facility. Correct process information is added to the CCF when the DUT moves from person to person during the process.
FMCSA post-accident tests are drug and alcohol tests of drivers involved in accidents in the performance of safety-related duties. If you find that a driver has created a chain of custody form, or CCF, is a document used to track a sample in the drug testing process. It tracks the sample from the moment the donor makes the sample available to the collector until the report of the analysis of the sample from the MRO to the DER. There are other fatal defects that are not directly related to the chain of custody form, but to the copy itself. They are as follows: The format of the CCF is generally specified and standardized by a group of on-site senior managers composed of government and industry representatives such as laboratories, SAPAA and DATIA. Now, a question for you: Have you ever found any of these errors in a CCF? We would like to know your experience with the chain of custody form and the drug testing process. Let us know in the comments below. The term „chain of custody form” is often referred to as a CCF or CoC and refers to a paper document or trace that shows the seizure, custody, control, transmission, analysis, and disposition of physical and electronic evidence of a human sample test.
Jennifer Gladstone is a news anchor and journalist with over 20 years of experience in front of the camera. She has worked in several large and small markets and has performed almost all the necessary tasks in an editorial office. As editor-in-chief of EBI`s screening news, he keeps EBI`s customers and blog subscribers up to date on the latest screening news and regulatory alerts for businesses of all sizes. The chain of custody and control form is an important part of the drug testing process. It documents the measures involved and helps all parties to ensure that each donor has a fair test. It is also known as a chain of custody and control form – or simply a custody and control form. If the collector used a non-DOT form, they must provide a signed memo explaining why they should use the form. The laboratory then receives the sample and the CCF from the sampling point. You check the sample and the CCF for possible errors or „errors” in the testing process.
Many of these deficiencies are related to the chain of custody form. We will discuss these shortcomings shortly. Consequences: Be sure to talk to your legal counsel to create this section, as there are many state laws that can affect the type of discipline you can apply. This ensures sample integrity and responsibility for a test sample. The CCF has obtained the status of a legal document and may be declared invalid if the template has been falsified and does not contain the complete information it contains. A broken or mismatched seal on the sample vial also invalidates the sample to be tested. As it is a legal document, the manipulation or mistreatment of the CCF is investigated and subsequently sanctioned in accordance with the law. The first step in any drug testing program is to have a written guideline.
This policy specifies exactly who will be tested for drugs, when the tests will be performed, what testing methods will be used, and what will happen if an employee or candidate fails. For Department of Transportation (DOT) drug testing, this is the procedure of documenting the management and storage of a sample from the time a donor provides the sample (usually urine) to the collector at the final destination of the sample and the verification and reporting of the final test result. It is, of course, imperative that information about the CCF be clear, complete and concise so that a result can be reported quickly and accurately. As previously mentioned, each party receives its own copy of the Chain of Custody Form: All processes in which the FCC participates serve as assurance to the donor that the sample it was required to provide was handled and tested in the order described in the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). These guidelines are common for drug testing throughout the United States and provide standards for the testing process. All information about test results, including the CCF, is considered very private and confidential to federal and private employees, schools, and other organizations that require testing. The MRO will record its final result on the completed CCF and will also be able to transport this result electronically with a specific results reporting software. Throughout the process, part or a copy of the form can be kept by the sample collector, the organization to be tested, the distributor, the laboratory and finally the MRO, the MRO copy recording the final result. Just like using a non-federal form for a DOT test, the MRO must receive a signed memo from the collector explaining why the error occurred and what is being done to ensure it does not happen again. After transport, the CCF is updated again when it is received by the testing laboratory.
Upon arrival at the laboratory, the details of the test that will be performed will be communicated in writing, along with the time, date and signature of the person processing the sample. Once the tests are completed with the final results, this CCF is copied or a special part is returned to the Medical Examination Officer (MRO) for interpretation and conclusion. Random testing: These tests can be done monthly, quarterly, or even annually, depending on the needs of the business. Names are randomly generated by a computer program. These types of tests deter employees from using drugs because they don`t know when they will be tested. .