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Blind Specimen
Chain Of Custody
Cut Off Level
False Positive
Medical Review Officer
Reasonable Suspicion Testing
Safety Sensitive Positions
Shy Bladder
Split Specimen
Audiogram
Hearing Protection Devices (HPD's)
Audiologist
Decibels (dB)
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To further ensure the integrity of a laboratory-based drug testing, the
federal government, under current DOT protocols, requires employers to submit three
"blind specimens" for every 100 total samples it sends to a lab. A blind specimen
is a urine sample that is known to be either clean or to contain drug metabolites. Because the lab doesn't know which are blind specimens, the accuracy of its
testing procedures can be monitored.
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Procedures to account for the integrity of each urine specimen by tracking
its handling and storage from point of specimen collection to final disposition
of the specimen. Documentation of this process must include the date and purpose
each time a specimen is handled or transferred, and identification of each individual in the chain-of-custody.
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Typically, some type of minimum measurement is applied so that only traces
of the drug or its metabolite above a specified level is reported as positive.
This "minimum measurement" is called a cutoff level. Drugs in urine are measure
by nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml). Cutoff levels differ by various drugs and whether
it is a screen or a confirmation test.
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When a test result that should have been negative is erroneously reported
as positive. However, the advances made in the technology of drug testing
over the past 10 years, along with precautionary measures represented in the
use of chain of custody forms and medical review officer services, make the likelihood
of a false positive almost non-existent.
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A licensed physician responsible for receiving
laboratory results generated by a drug testing program who has knowledge of substance
abuse disorders and has appropriate medical training to interpret and evaluate an
individual's positive test result together with his or her medical history and any
other relevant biomedical information.
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(Also includes For-Cause Testing)
Testing conducted when management has reason to believe that an employee may be
using illegal drugs. Management's belief must be based on specific objective facts
and reasonable inferences.
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Occupational positions which are deemed acutely
sensitive to safety considerations such as airline pilots, nuclear reactor operators,
train crews etc.
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When the donor cannot provide a urine sample
at the time of the collection. This may be not being able to void at all or
not being able to provided enough urine to make the urinalysis possible.
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Audiogram
A chart, graph or table resulting from an audiometric
test showing an individual's hearing threshold level as a function of frequency.
Pure tones of specific frequencies are used to conduct the audiometric test.
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Hearing Protection Devices (HPD's)
Personal protective equipment that is designed to be worn in the ear
canal or over the ear to reduce the sound level reaching the ear drum. Examples
include ear muffs or plugs.
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Audiologist:
A professional specializing in the study and rehabilitation of
hearing, who is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association or
licensed by a state board of examiners.
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Decibels (dB):
A measure of the sound level (loudness). The decibel scale is a logarithmic
scale; as an example, a 90 dB noise is ten
times louder than a 80 dB noise.
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The original urine specimen is split into two samples. One is used for
initial screen and, if positive, the confirmation. The split sample is used in the
event that a confirmed and verified positive result is challenged by the employee.
The remaining split specimen is sent to another certified lab for re-confirmation.
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