The Most Common Mistakes Made By DOT Specimen Collectors

Most of us have heard our share of stories of colleagues and friends getting around the office drug testing day through tips and tricks that may have put their careers on the chopping block, or have experienced being called back for a second drug test days or weeks after the first one. These scenarios are often caused by the lapse in judgment or even carelessness by the drug test specimen collector. Here, we’ll shed light on some of the most common drug and alcohol collection errors made by DOT specimen collectors.

Securing The Facility

One of the most common reasons why drug tests fail is because the DOT specimen collector failed to prevent unauthorized access or properly monitor all areas of the testing area. In some instances, this may be caused by not thoroughly inspecting the testing area before and/or after conducting the specimen collections. This practice is often one of the essentials taught during drug and alcohol collection training. To prevent this from happening, the specimen collector must inspect and monitor the following areas:

• All possible entrances and exits in the facility
• Spaces in between bathroom stalls being used by donors
• Unused stalls
• Cabinets and drawers in the facility
• Toilet water cabinets in donor stalls 
• Other applicable areas in the collection facility

Donor Handling

When it comes to both drug and alcohol collection, it is absolutely crucial for a DOT specimen collector to inform the donor about the rules and processes to be followed during collection. All DOT specimen collectors must always point out and emphasize fine print on the back of documents and forms to be filled out, and appropriately oversee that the donor is following all rules and policies.