Definition - What does blind sample testing mean?
A blind sample testing is a drug screen procedure that involves the collection, submission, and confirmation of an artificial urine specimen to ensure laboratory facilities meet test result standards mandated by the Department of Transportation (DOT). A laboratory can receive up to a maximum of fifty blind samples on a quarterly basis with the proportion of the cumulative amount corresponding to seventy-five percent negative (no drugs), fifteen percent positive (one to five DOT tested drugs), and ten percent adulterated. Companies with two thousand or more employees who operate commercial motor vehicles are obligated to follow annual blind sample testing in regulating safety-sensitive positions.
SureHire explains blind sample testing
Many employers enlist the services of drug testing companies that specialize in distributing blind samples to laboratories and simulating all required elements of a legitimate drug screen process. For instance, a collector of a blind sample will include the custody of control form (CCF), detailing fictitious information such as a collector’s initials and a false company name. A medical review officer (MRO) is provided a certificate of analysis comparing the blind sample to lab test findings that might suggest disparities calling for immediate notice to the laboratory in question and the DOT.
DOT drug testing serves as an important factor in helping to determine if an applicant and/or employee is fit for occupying and/or being reinstated to a safety-sensitive position for various reasons. Employers that fail to comply to DOT-based conditions related to routine drug screen protocol are considered a public liability where vehicular accidents resulting in injuries and/or fatalities are common. A basic urinalysis covers amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, opiates (including heroin), and phencyclidine (PCP), all of which can impair an individual’s capacity to manipulate and control heavy equipment and/or operate commercial motor vehicles.
Since DOT occupations generally require a commercial driving license (CDL), blind sample testing serves as a useful adjunct to regular drug testing formalities to ensure DOT compliance.
