Custody documentation

Chain of custody Documentation necessary to trace sample possession from the time of collection throughout the time of analysis. 

Second, in terms of handling, the regulations state that procedures must be established to ensure that 1) there is proper storage, 2) contamination or deterioration is avoided during handling, 3) proper identification is maintained throughout the study, and 4) the receipt and distribution is documented for each batch. The concept of the chain-of-custody documentation is thus covered in the regulations. 

If the integrity of a sample is called into question, a paper trail, or chain of custody, must be examined in order to discover errors. This chain of custody documents who had custody of the sample and what actions were performed so that the sample integrity can be verified. 

Short-term preservation (several weeks) can usually be successfully accomplished by generous application of polyethylene plastic wrap and duct-tape. Be careful in applying the tape to avoid direct contact with the items. The adhesive can be left behind on the part and when removed, can take with it important dust, fibers, or other data. Even short-term preservation requires some control of access, chain of custody documentation and conspicuously posted signs. Many workers are genuinely curious to learn and see for themselves what the damaged or essential part actually looks like, and may unintentionally cause changes. 

In terms of test substances, reagents, and samples, the QAU would want to look in the notebooks or logbooks to see if these substances are properly identified. It would also want to look at the container labels for proper identification (identity, concentration, composition, storage requirements, and expiration date). It would want to take note of expiration dates to see if all test substances and reagents are current. It would look for proper storage of substances, chain-of-custody documentation (date, quantity, distributor, receiver, etc.), and sample labels to see if they are adequate to avoid mixups. 

Initial Sample Preparation. When received, the sample must be handled according to the proper protocol to maintain its chemical and legal integrity. Some pretreatment to preserve the sample usually is performed at collection time and should be properly described in chain of custody documentation that accompanies the sample, as described in the Radioanalytical Chemistry text. 

Table 5. Secretariat quality documents describing the preparation of samples during on site inspection for GC/MS analysis, the destruction of sample material and the chain of custody documentation. The documents listed in the table are part of the Secretariat s quality management system and undergo regular revision. Thus, their names and codes may change in future...

When they are to be tested for their alcohol and drugs of abuse content, urine specimens are collected under rigorous conditions requiring chain of custody documentation. (See Chapter 34 for details of such a collection.)... 

Once the sample has been taken, and a laboratory chosen, this information goes with the sample as part of the chain of custody documentation. When the laboratory accepts the sample, the sample information is reviewed to extract those facts directly pertinent to the analytical process ... 

Complete records must be kept of every transfer of data or samples to an individual, laboratory, or storage facility. Such records will permit an investigator to determine who had custody of the material and where it was at any given time. Custody documentation is part of the support data and should be available for review by an independent auditor. 

Sample Integrity. In order to be able to rely on the results of measurements, it is necessary to be sure that the sample as analy2ed is the same as it was when collected, and that it is properly identified in the field, in the laboratory, and in the report. Transit times and temperatures should be within the limits allowed for the type of sample and analysis. A series of documents which estabhsh a chain of custody should exist so that it is possible to be sure that the right result goes with the right sample. 

Material returned to the client or sent to treatment disposal should have documented chain of custody. 

The samples are identified in the receiving laboratory on arrival on the basis of documentation provided in the shipment and the information supplied in the study plan and chain of custody. Acknowledgement to the field investigator can then be given. 

All application verification and soil samples must be individually labeled with unique sample identification (ID) and other identifying information such as study ID, test substance name, sample depth, replicate, subplot and date of collection, as appropriate. Proper study documentation requires that sample lists and labels be created prior to work commencing in the field. Water- and tear-resistant labels should be used since standard paper labels may become water-soaked and easily torn during sample handling. Sample lists should have the same information on them as the labels and are a convenient place to record plot randomization, initials of the individual who collected the sample, and date of collection. As such, the sample list is important in establishing chain of custody from the point of sample collection until its arrival at the laboratory. 

Field forms may be used to document the movement of the field samples from the field to the analytical laboratory. Chain of custody forms may document the sample number, when it was sampled, when it was shipped, where it was being shipped from, and where it was going. The chain of custody form may also contain information on when the sample was received, by whom it was received, and the condition of the samples upon arrival at the laboratory. The chain of custody form also documents that the sample itself was taken. 

Samples should be shipped under chain of custody (as discussed above) using an overnight courier service or freezer truck. Advantages of using freezer trucks are obvious since overnight couriers do not document environmental conditions during shipping as with the freezer truck. 

FIGURE 2.1 A representation of the chain of custody for a water sample from a remote site, as described in the text. The point is that this chain of custody needs to be documented. (From Kenkel, J., A Primer on Quality in the Analytical Laboratory, CRC Press/Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL, 2000.)... 

XVIII. Upon termination, the employee shall be given custody of his central personnel file. Records remaining with the employer will consist simply of the name and address of the terminated employee and the period of service. Upon termination, an employee shall be delivered a document by the employer defining his residual rights in inventions, patents pending, and possible publications. 

Ten individuals partook of LSD without their knowledge in 11 experiments (one was dosed twice). Nine of them were foreign nationals who were considered to be intelligence sources or actual agents. One was a U.S. soldier who admitted to unlawfully removing classified documents. He insisted he had disposed of all of them in the river, but on suspicion of espionage he was placed in voluntary protective custody in an off-post safe house for six weeks. 

Documenting of standard operating procedures for sampling, chain of custody, QA/QC, survey, logging, and data verification. 

Certain documents or evidence may need special attention due to potential litigation. A chain-of-custody record may be necessary. 

Like physical data, paper data may require a chain of custody procedure to ensure that the actual documents used during the incident are the documents being examined by the team. 

Was evidence gathered and preserved properly, including a documented chain-of-custody ... 

Figure 6.2 Documentation of the chain of custody is important for sample integrity.

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