Login / Register | 0 items - $ 0.00
CONTACT US

Why Isn’t There A “Re-Certification” Box As A Reason To Test On The Federal CCF Form”?

by Leave a Comment

Have you ever wondered why the DOT Custody and Control form (CCF), doesn’t list “re-certification” as a reason to perform DOT drug testing? This is a good question. It is a common practice for some companies to request a DOT drug test at the same time a CDL driver is scheduled for a DOT Re-certification Physical. When confronted with this request, the tendency is for specimen collectors to mark the “Other” box on the Federal CCF and write in “Re-Cert” as the reason for the drug test. This practice creates a couple of issues:

What’s a Breath Alcohol Calibration Standard?

by 2 Comments

We talk to our customers about the importance of maintaining the accuracy of their breath alcohol test instruments by performing Accuracy Checks and Calibration Adjustments, and we devote a significant amount of our classroom BAT training on how to perform these procedures as well. An element that sometimes doesn’t get as much discussion is the one thing necessary to perform Accuracy Checks and Calibration Adjustments: the Calibration Standard.

A Calibration Standard is a known quantity that we use to compare against our measuring device – in this case, a breath alcohol testing device. In medical settings calibration standards are frequently called “controls, and the process that we typically call Accuracy Check is called “running a control.” Depending on the particular device, it is not unusual for staff in medical settings to run a “high control” and a “low control” in order to verify that the device in question is giving correct readings. In alcohol testing, however, it is customary to verify at only one point.

Meet Ken Hutchinson, AlcoPro’s New Training Director

by Leave a Comment

It is with great pleasure AlcoPro introduces Ken Hutchinson as our newly appointed Training Director. Ken brings over 27-years of experience in the DOT drug and alcohol testing and compliance industry. For 10-years Ken served as a clinic manager, overseeing drug and alcohol testing training programs to ensure BAT and Specimen Collector personnel were knowledgeable in DOT Federal Regulations and professional in daily testing protocols.

24/7 Sobriety: A Solution with 99% Success Rate

by 1 Comment

Can something as simple as having to demonstrate sobriety twice a day really keep DUI offenders from drinking?

For 10 years South Dakota has operated a novel program called “24/7 Sobriety” that has achieved significant success in keeping individuals from drinking. While most approaches to combatting DUI offenders focus on removing the individual from the car (license revocation, ignition interlock devices), the 24/7 approach removes the individual from alcohol. Here’s how it works:

5 Most Common Reasons For Insufficient Breath Sample or Shy Lung

by 4 Comments

Evidential Breath Testers (EBT’s) are engineered to automatically capture a breath sample when analyzing for the presence of alcohol. There are two critical conditions which must be met in order for an automatic breath sample to be taken. First, the subject must provide a minimum volume of breath (1200 cc’s of breath for the Alco-Sensor IV and 1350 cc’s of breath for the Alco-Sensor V). Second, the subject must reach a breath flow drop off point. When both conditions occur, the instrument’s fuel cell automatically opens to capture 1cc of breath sample. However, when your subject will not or cannot provide the minimum volume of breath and reach the breath flow drop off point, it is referred to as “insufficient breath sample” or “shy lung”. Here are the most common reasons for “insufficient breath sample” or “shy lung” and ways to overcome it:

EtG Testing for Alcohol Abstinence: Best Practices

by 50 Comments

The question we are asked most frequently, year after year for 30+ years, is “How long after drinking can alcohol be detected?” The answer we give has always been based on the assumption that a breath alcohol or saliva test device will be used to detect the presence of alcohol in the blood…

Benefits to Using Scripted Statements in the Drug and Alcohol Testing Process

by 1 Comment

As an alcohol and drug testing professional the idea of scripted statements may seem unnecessary or even silly. After all, daily interactions with testing subjects should be a natural exchange, not forced or insincere. However, it’s a proven fact that scripted statements delivered to subjects or donors during the drug and alcohol testing process are advantageous for several reasons.

2015 DATIA Conference, My Observations

by Leave a Comment

AlcoPro exhibited at the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry (DATIA) annual conference in Miami, FL earlier this month. For those readers who don’t know about DATIA, the association is primarily focused on workplace drug and alcohol testing, with particular emphasis on the testing required by U.S. Dept. of Transportation regulations.