What is a monitored collection in the DOT specimen collection process?

Monitored Collections DOT

If you use a multi-stall restroom, you must either:

Secure all sources of water and other substances that could be used for adulteration and substitution (e.g., water faucets, soap dispensers) and place bluing agent in all toilets or secure the toilets to prevent access; or

Conduct all collections in the multi-stall facility as monitored collections. This is the only circumstance in which you may conduct a monitored collection.

No one but the employee may be present in the multistall restroom during the collection, except for the monitor in the event of a monitored collection or the observer in the event of a directly observed collection.

For a monitored collection the monitor goes into the restroom with the donor but not into the individual stall.  The stall secured for the collection should have bluing agent in the toilet and no items in that stall.  The purpose of the monitored is so the collector does not have to secure the entire multi-stall restroom.  As the collector, you must secure the room being used for the monitored collection so that no one except the employee and the monitor can enter it until after the collection has been completed.

As the collector, you must ensure that the monitor is the same gender as the employee, unless the monitor is a medical professional (e.g., nurse, doctor, physician’s assistant, technologist, or technician licensed or certified to practice in the jurisdiction in which the collection takes place). The monitor can be a different person from the collector and need not be a qualified collector.  As the monitor, you must not watch the employee urinate into the collection container.  If you hear sounds or make other observations indicating an attempt to tamper with a specimen, there must be an additional collection under direct observation.

As the collector, when someone else has acted as the monitor, you must note that person’s name in the “Remarks” line of the CCF (Step 2).  As the employee being tested, if you decline to permit a collection authorized under this section to be monitored, it is a refusal to test.

Review Monitored Collection:

  • Monitor is same gender as employee unless monitor is licensed medical professional
  • Monitor may be someone other than collector to ensure same gender (note name on CCF if not collector)
  • Sounds or observations indicating an attempt to tamper with the specimen by the monitor result in observed collection
  • Monitor, who is not the collector, does not handle the urine specimen