FEATURE: COLLECTOR TRAINING QUESTIONS & ANSWERS   Have a question? Email your question to faq@drugtestingusa.com What is used as the address for the collection site? The collection site address should reflect the location where the collection takes place. If the collection takes place at a clinic, the actual address of that clinic should be used: not a corporate or a “main office” address of the clinic/collection company. If the collection takes place on-site at the employer’s place of business (e.g., a bus terminal, a rail yard), the actual address of the employer site should be used. If the collection takes place in a “mobile unit” or takes place at an accident site, the collector should enter the actual location address of the collection (or as near an approximation as possible, under the circumstances). The required collector telephone number should be the number at which it is most likely that the laboratory, MRO, or employer, if necessary, may contact the collector and the collector’s supervisor. Pre-printing certain information onto the CCF is problematic if the information is subject to change. Is it a "refusal to test" if a person refuses to remove outer garments or empty pockets? Wash hands? Yes. 40.191 (a) (8) fail to cooperate with any part of the testing process (e.g. refuse to empty pockets when so directed by the collector, behave in a confrontational way that disrupts the collection process.) Refusing to wash hands, however, is not a refusal. The DOT has indicated that if the donor refuses to wash his/her hands, the collector should note this in the remarks line and continue with the collection. In the case of a refusal, the collector must carefully follow the procedures at 40.191(d) by terminating the collection process, immediately notifying the DER of the refusal, and thoroughly document the circumstances surrounding the event in the remarks section of the CCF Why can a DOT specimen not be used for a non-DOT test? A DOT specimen is REQUIRED to be collected by federal mandate. This is not the case for non-DOT tests; therefore, the DOT collected specimen cannot be used for non-DOT tests. What would be some examples of "an attempt to tamper" by a donor? Adding an adulterant to the specimen, adding water from the toilet to the specimen, applying a substance to heat a cold specimen, etc. If in a "shy bladder" situation, the "3 hour" period goes past the closing time of collection facility. Does the collector have to stay? Yes. What if a donor or collector accidentally spills a specimen & the donor will not attempt to give another specimen? In the unfortunate event that the collector spills the donor’s specimen, the collector should apologize to the donor, make a note in the “Remarks” section of the CCF, supply the donor with a new sealed collection container, unseal the container in front of the donor and request that the donor provide another sample. If the donor is unable to provide another sample at that time, proceed with “shy bladder” procedures. If the donor refuses to provide another specimen, this is a refusal per §40.191 (a) (2) fail to remain at the collection sire until the testing process is complete. What happens if collector uses a non-federal form for a DOT-test as it was the only form she/he had? If the problem is the use of a non-Federal form or an expired Federal form in a DOT collection, the collector must provide a signed statement (i.e. a memorandum for the record). It must state that the incorrect form contains all the information needed for a valid DOT drug test, and that the incorrect form was used inadvertently or as the only means of conducting a test, in circumstances beyond the collector’s control. The statement must also list the steps taken to prevent future use of non-Federal forms or expired Federal forms for DOT tests. For this flaw to be corrected, the test of the specimen must have occurred at a HHS-certified laboratory where it was tested consistent with the requirements of this part What are the differences between 49 CFR Part 40 & DHHS mandatory guidelines? Part 40 regulations mandate the process for testing of safety sensitive transportation employees. HHS guidelines govern the testing of federal employees. The DOT regulations incorporate parts of the HHS guidelines to include cutoff levels, etc. Who can monitor mock collections? A monitor must be a certified collector trainer, or have been conducting DOT collections for at least 2 years. Do you send the specimen to the lab if the signatures don't appear to match (signature ID is unconfirmed) for an owner operator? Yes, however, mark in the remarks line that the signatures do not appear to match. What is considered secure storage? Secure storage must have restricted access, or better yet, a lock that can only be opened by certain people. You must be able to account for everyone that has access to the storage area. Is it required by DOT to have the DER's name on the CCF under employer name, etc.? §40.35 requires the employer to provide the collector with the name and fax number of the DER, however, §40.45 does not require that this be included on the CCF. How does the drug testing process work for an individual seeking a drug test for their own personal use? First, you need to have a chain of custody form (a five part carbonless form with specimen sealing labels at the bottom). You can purchase this from DTUSA over the phone with a credit card. When you order the form, you will also be asked how you would like the results sent to you. The form is mailed out to you in 3-5 days or sent via overnight mail for an additional $15. Included with the form is your receipt of purchase and information on the closest collection site. Once you receive your chain of custody form, take it to the corresponding collection site. You usually do not need an appointment. However, the number is included with the collection site information, and you can call to make sure, get directions or hours of operation. Once you get to the collection site, you will provide a urine specimen, which will then be sent to the Lab for testing. Negative results are usually received within 24 hours. If it is non-negative, it takes up to 72 hours because the donor must speak with a Medical Review Officer first to determine if there is a medical explanation for the non-negative test result. Once this is determined by the MRO, results will be sent out. Do all positive drug test results require the donor to have a consultation with a doctor (MRO)? Yes for DOT testing, highly recommended for all other testing. Both individual and client donors must talk to a doctor to confirm the positive test. If no contact is able to be made between the donor and the doctor, the test is confirmed positive with a note indicating no contact with the donor. The employer is only notified of a positive drug test result either after contact between the donor and the doctor (MRO) has been made, or if there is no contact between the donor and the doctor after a certain period of time. What does CFR stand for? The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. What does PIE stand for? Public Interest Exclusion. If any company who provides a service in compliance with DOT Drug & Alcohol Testing rules and regulations (49 CFR Part 40) breaks one of the rules or regulations, it gets a warning letter in the mail. After a certain amount of time, if the problem is not fixed, that company could receive a PIE and then can no longer provide services used for companies complying with DOT Drug & Alcohol Testing rules and regulations – 49 CFR Part 40. What is a stand-down? A stand-down is when an employee is taken out of a safety sensitive position after the employer receives a laboratory result of non negative but the MRO has not yet reviewed or verified this result. An employer must apply to the DOT for authorization to use this stand-down provision of the regulations - DOT Drug & Alcohol Testing rules and regulations – 49 CFR Part 40. How often do DOT regulated companies conduct breath alcohol testing ( BATs)? DOT regulated companies required to do random alcohol testing are generally required to conduct 10% random BATs. Do donors have to go to separate labs for urine drug tests and breath alcohol testing (BAT)? If a donor needs a urine drug test only, they generally go to a Quest or LabCorp collection site. If a donor needs both a urine drug test and a BAT, they typically go to a clinic or other third party site where BAT testing is available – the clinic or third party site can also collect for the urine drug screen. For drug testing only, collection at Quest or LabCorp Patient Service Center is typically less expensive. For both an alcohol and a drug test, a third party clinic is used for convenience, but is generally more expensive – about $17.00 more. What form is used for Breath Alcohol Testing? Breath Alcohol Testing Form (BAT form) Is it true that all DOT regulated companies must abide by the Drug Free Workplace policy, while non-DOT regulated companies may or may not abide by the DFW policy? DOT regulated companies are required to have a written drug & alcohol testing program as stipulated by the mode of transportation in which they are regulated. This generally equates to a Drug Free Workplace Policy for the DOT employees. For non-DOT employees a separate Drug Free Workplace Policy would be required or non-DOT drug testing policies included in the DOT written drug & alcohol testing program. For non-DOT regulated companies, the employer elects to have a Drug Free Workplace program which starts with the substance abuse policy. Do DOT companies ever already have a policy in place and need testing only? Yes, many times, Drug Testing USA provides testing only for DOT or non-DOT employers. If non-DOT companies have a policy already, do you need to verify what their policy requires in order to determine what type of testing they need and how often they need it? Yes, the policy should always dictate the type of drug testing and the details of any random testing. Is there a specific program available for school drug testing? Generally a custom program is designed based on a school’s needs and what they want to accomplish.