Fake Temperature Strips?
(The following excerpted from the Federal Transit Administration’s Spring 2012 Drug and Alcohol Regulations Updates.)
“Donors have found a way to substitute fake temperature strips with in-range temperature readings for actual strips. This allows donors to submit cold, substituted specimens without the extra challenge of trying to keep it within the acceptable temperature range. Donors can substitute a urine specimen (i.e. actual or synthetic), pour it into the collection cup while in the privacy enclosure, peel off the original temperature strip and replace it with a fake temperature strip with a green dot indicating a temperature between 90 degrees and 100 degrees pre-printed.
Collectors should be aware of this possibility and if a specimen appears cold to the touch, the temperature strip should be inspected to ensure its authenticity. If something does not appear right about a specimen, it should be scrutinized and noted in the Remarks section of Step 2 on the CCF. If a fake temperature strip is found, a new specimen should be collected under direct observation procedures and the Designated Employer Representative (DER) should be contacted.”
AlcoPro’s Specimen Collector training delivers all the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct collections that comply with DOT regulations.