How To – Step Two Urine Specimen Collection

  • 40.65 What does the collector check for when the employee presents a specimen? 

(a) Sufficiency of specimen. You must check to ensure that the specimen contains at least 45 mL of urine.

If it does not, you must follow “shy bladder” procedures (see www.dot.gov/odapc/part40QA/40_193  ).

(b) Temperature. You must check the temperature of the specimen no later than four minutes after the employee has given you the specimen.

(1) The acceptable temperature range is 32–38 °C/90–100 °F.

(2) You must determine the temperature of the specimen by reading the temperature strip attached to the collection container.

(3) If the specimen temperature is within the acceptable range, you must mark the “Yes” box on the CCF (Step 2).

(4) If the specimen temperature is outside the acceptable range, you must mark the “No” box and enter in the “Remarks” line (Step 2) your findings about the temperature.

(5) If the specimen temperature is outside the acceptable range, you must immediately conduct a new collection using direct observation procedures (see www.dot.gov/odapc/part40/40_67 ).

(6) In a case where a specimen is collected under direct observation because of the temperature being out of range, you must process both the original specimen and the specimen collected using direct observation and send the two sets of specimens to the laboratory. This is true even in a case in which the original specimen has insufficient volume but the temperature is out of range. You must also, as soon as possible, inform the DER and collection site supervisor that a collection took place under direct observation and the reason for doing so. 

 (7) In a case where the employee refuses to provide another specimen (see www.dot.gov/odapc/part40/40_191 ) or refuses to provide another specimen under direct observation (see www.dot.gov/odapc/part40/40_191 ), you must notify the DER. As soon as you have notified the DER, you must discard any specimen the employee has provided previously during the collection procedure. 

 (c) Signs of tampering. You must inspect the specimen for unusual color, presence of foreign objects or material, or other signs of tampering (e.g., if you notice any unusual odor). 

If it is apparent from this inspection that the employee has tampered with the specimen (e.g., blue dye in the specimen, excessive foaming when shaken, smell of bleach), you must immediately conduct a new collection using direct observation procedures (see www.dot.gov/odapc/part40/40_67  ). 

 

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