Drug Testing Terminology

Breath Alcohol Technician (BAT)

A person who instructs and assists employees in the alcohol testing process and operates an evidential breath testing device.

Collection site

A place selected by the employer where employees present themselves for the purpose of providing a urine specimen for a drug test.

Laboratory

Any U.S. laboratory certified by HHS under the National Laboratory Certification Program as meeting the minimum standards of Subpart C of the HHS Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs; or, in the case of foreign laboratories, a laboratory approved for participation by DOT under this part.

Affiliate

Persons are affiliates of one another if, directly or indirectly one controls or has the power to control the other, or a third party controls or has the power to control both.

Screening Drug Test

See Initial Drug Test

Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC)

The office in the Office of the Secretary, DOT, that is responsible for coordinating drug and alcohol testing program matters within the Department and providing information concerning the implementation of this part.

Alcohol screening device (ASD)

A breath or saliva device, other than an EBT, that is approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and placed on a conforming products list (CPL) for such devices.

Split specimen collection

A collection in which the urine collected is divided into two separate specimen bottles, the primary specimen (Bottle A) and the split specimen (Bottle B).

Confirmed drug test

A confirmation test result received by an MRO from a laboratory.

Collection container

A container into which the employee urinates to provide the specimen for a drug test.

Shipping container

A container that is used for transporting and protecting urine specimen bottles and associated documents from the collection site to the laboratory.

Evidential Breath Testing Device (EBT)

A device approved by NHTSA for the evidential testing of breath at the .02 and .04 alcohol concentrations, placed on NHTSA's Conforming Products List (CPL) for "Evidential Breath Measurement Devices" and identified on the CPL as conforming with the model specifications available from NHTSA's Traffic Safety Program.

Cancelled test

A drug or alcohol test that has a problem identified that cannot be or has not been corrected, or which this part otherwise requires to be cancelled. A cancelled test is neither a positive nor negative test.

Verified Test

A drug test result or validity testing result from an HHS-certified laboratory that has undergone review and final determination by the MRO.

Aliquot

A fractional part of a specimen used for testing. It is taken as a sample representing the whole specimen.

Employer

A person or entity employing one or more employees (including an individual who is self-employed) subject to DOT agency regulations requiring compliance with this part. The term includes an employer's officers, representatives, and management personnel. Service agents are not employers for the purposes of this part.

Substance Abuse Professional (SAP)

A person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.

Collector

A person who instructs and assists employees at a collection site, who receives and makes an initial inspection of the specimen provided by those employees, and who initiates and completes the CCF.

Screening Test Technician (STT)

A person who instructs and assists employees in the alcohol testing process and operates an ASD.

Medical Review Officer (MRO)

A person who is a licensed physician and who is responsible for receiving and reviewing laboratory results generated by an employer's drug testing program and evaluating medical explanations for certain drug test results.

Alcohol testing site

A place selected by the employer where employees present themselves for the purpose of providing breath or saliva for an alcohol test.

Confirmatory drug test

A second analytical procedure performed on a different aliquot of the original specimen to identify and quantify the presence of a specific drug or drug metabolite.

Confirmatory validity test

A second test performed on a different aliquot of the original urine specimen to further support a validity test result.

Consortium/Third-Party Administrator (C/TPA)

A service agent that provides or coordinates the provision of a variety of drug and alcohol testing services to employers. C/TPAs typically perform administrative tasks concerning the operation of the employers' drug an alcohol testing programs. This term includes, but is not limited to, groups of employers who join together to administer, as a single entity, the DOT drug and alcohol testing programs of its members. C/TPAs are not "employers" for this purposes of this part.

Blind specimen or blind performance test specimen

A specimen submitted to a laboratory for quality control testing purposes, with a fictitious identifier, so that the laboratory cannot distinguish it from an employee specimen.

Adulterated Specimen

A specimen that has been altered, as evidenced by test results showing either a substance that is not a normal constituent for that type of specimen or showing an abnormal concentration of an endogenous substance.

Alcohol confirmation test

A subsequent test using an EBT, following a screening test with a result of 0.02 or greater, that provides quantitative data about the alcohol concentration.

Oxidizing adulterant

A substance that acts alone or in combination with other substances to oxidize drugs or drug metabolites to prevent the detection of the drug or drug metabolites, or affects the reagents in either the initial or confirmatory drug test.

Non-negative specimen

A urine specimen that is reported as adulterated, substituted, positive (for drug(s) or drug metabolite(s)), and/or invalid.

Dilute specimen

A urine specimen with creatinine and specific gravity values that are lower than expected for human urine.

Substituted specimen

A urine specimen with creatinine and specific gravity values that are so diminished or so divergent that they are not consistent with normal human urine.

Designated employer representative (DER)

An employee authorized by the employer to take immediate action(s) to remove employees from safety-sensitive duties, or cause employees to be removed from these covered duties, and to make required decisions in the testing and evaluation processes. The DER also receives test results and other communications for the employer, consistent with the requirements of this part. Service agents cannot act as DERs.

Service agent

Any person or entity , other than an employee of the employer, who provides services specified under this part to employers and/or employees in connection with DOT drug and alcohol testing requirements. This includes, but is not limited to, collectors, BATs and STTs, laboratories, MROs, substance abuse professionals, and C/TPAs. To act as service agents, persons and organization must meet the qualifications set forth in applicable sections of this part. Service agents are not employers for the purposes of this part.

Employee

Any person who is designated in a DOT agency regulation as subject to drug testing and/or alcohol testing. The term includes individuals currently performing safety-sensitive functions designated in DOT agency regulations and applicants for employment subject to pre-employment testing. For the purposes of drug testing under this part, the term employee has the same meaning as the term "donor" as found on CCF and related guidance materials produced by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Limit of Quantitation

For quantitative assays, the lowest concentration at which the identity and concentration of the measurand can be accurately established.

Split specimen

In drug testing, a part of the urine specimen that is sent to a first laboratory and retained unopened, and which is transported to a second laboratory in the event that the employee requests that it be tested following a verified positive test of the primary specimen or a verified adulterated or substituted test result.

Primary specimen

In drug testing, the urine specimen bottle that is opened and tested by a first laboratory to determine whether the employee has a drug or drug metabolite in his or her system; and for the purpose of validity testing, the primary specimen is distinguished from the split specimen, defined in this section.

Air blank

In evidential breath testing devices using gas chromatography technology, a reading of the device's internal standard. In all other EBTs, a reading of ambient air containing no alcohol.

HHS

The Department of Health and Human Services or any designee of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.

Secretary

The Secretary of Transportation or the Secretary's designee

Alcohol concentration

The alcohol in a volume of breath expressed in terms of grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath as indicated by a breath test.

Specimen bottle

The bottle that, after being sealed and labeled according to the procedures in this part, is used to hold the urine specimen during transportation to the laboratory.

Alcohol use

The drinking or swallowing of any beverage, liquid mixture or preparation (including medication), containing alcohol.

Drugs

The drugs for which tests are required under this part and DOT agency regulations are marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, phencyclidine (PCP) and opiates.

Initial specimen validity test

The first test used to determine if a urine specimen is adulterated, diluted, substituted or invalid.

Alcohol

The intoxicating agent in beverage alcohol, ethyl alcohol or other low molecular weight alcohols including methyl or isopropyl alcohol.

Limit of Detection (LOD)

The lowest concentration at which the identity and concentration of the measurand can be identified, but (for quantitative assays) the concentration cannot be accurately calculated.

Stand-down

The practice of temporarily removing an employee from the performance of safety-sensitive functions based only on a report from a laboratory to the MRO of a confirmed positive test for a drug or drug metabolite, an adulterated test, or a substituted test, before the MRO has completed verification of the test result.

Chain of Custody

The procedure used to document the handling of the urine specimen from the time the employee gives the specimen to the collector until the specimen is destroyed. This procedure uses the Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form (CCF) as approved by the Office of Management and Budget.

Invalid drug test

The result reported by an HHS - certified laboratory in accordance with the criteria established by HHS Mandatory Guidelines when a positive, negative, adulterated, or substituted result cannot be established for a specific drug or specimen validity test.

Negative result

The result reported by an HHS-certified laboratory to an MRO when a specimen contains no drug or the concentraton of the drug is less than the cutoff concentration for the drug or drug class and the specimen is a valid specimen.

Positive result

The result reported by an HHS-certified laboratory when a specimen contains a drug or drug metabolite equal to or greater than the cutoff concentrations.

Rejected for testing

The result reported by an HHS-certified laboratory when not tests are performed for a specimen because of a fatal flaw or a correctable flaw that is not corrected.

Reconfirmed

The result reported for a split specimen when the second laboratory is able to corroborate the original result reported for the primary specimen.

Initial drug test (also known as a Screening drug test)

The test used to differentiate a negative specimen from one that requires further testing for drugs or drug metabolites.

Qualification training

The training required in order for a collector, BAT, MRO, SAP, or STT to be qualified to perform their functions in the DOT drug and alcohol testing program. Qualification training may be provided by any appropriate means (e.g. classroom instruction, internet application, CD-ROM, video).

Refresher Training

The training required periodically for qualified collectors, BATs and STTs to review basic requirements and provide instruction concerning changes in technology (e.g. new testing methods that may be authorized) and amendments, interpretations, guidance, and issues concerning this part and DOT agency drug and alcohol testing regulations. Refresher training can be provided by any appropriate means (e.g., classroom instruction, internet application, CD-ROM, video).

DOT, The Department, DOT agency

These terms encompass all DOT agencies, including, but not limited to, the Unites States Coast Guard (USCG), The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the Office of the Secretary (OST). These terms include any designee of a DOT agency.

Continuing Education

Training for substance abuse professionals (SAPs) who have completed qualification training and are performing SAP functions, designed to keep SAPs current on changes and developments in the DOT drug and alcohol testing program.

Error Correction Training

Training provided to BATs, collectors, and screening test technicians (STTs) following an error that resulted in the cancellation of a drug or alcohol test. Error correction training must be provided in person or by a means that provides real-time observation and interaction between the instructor and trainee.