Not affording the employee a full three hours to provide a specimen is not automatically a basis for the MRO to cancel a test.
• The three hour time period is a maximum rather a minimum. But, to avoid potential issues about the fairness of the collection, collectors are advised to provide the full three hours.
• In each of the following examples, the collector could stop the collection process, thoroughly document the details and times on Copy 2 of the CCF, and inform the DER of the employee’s inability to provide a sufficient amount of urine:
— After 2 hours and 50 minutes, the employee informs the collector there is no reason to try again because he or she will not be able to provide a specimen. The collector terminates the collection.
— After 2 hours and 50 minutes, the employee requests to try again but provides another insufficient amount of urine. The collector terminates the collection because there is no practical possibility that the employee will provide the requisite amount in the next 10 minutes.
• In each of these two examples, the employee has had a fair opportunity to provide 45 mL of urine, and the test should not be cancelled because the full three-hour period was not used.
• The medical evaluation should be conducted to determine if there is a legitimate physiological condition or psychological disorder explanation for the employee’s inability to provide the requisite amount of urine.
• In situations where it appears the employee was not provided a fair opportunity to provide the requisite amount of urine, the MRO could cancel the test.
— For example, the collector terminates a collection after two hours because the collection site is closing and all collectors are leaving.
• Please note that it remains a refusal to test if the employee leaves the collection site without permission.
DOT Part 40 Question and Answer dated 7/2008