Step-by-step guides to the jobs you will actually do in READI Collect. Each one takes a single task from the first click to the finished result, in real screens from the live site.
New to READI Collect? Start at Topic 1 and work down. If you are on a company's testing roster, Topic 7 is the one you need. If you perform collections, start at Topic 8. On a phone? Topic 10 adds it to your home screen. Unsure of a word? The glossary is at the foot of this page.
Read it as one document Every guide on one page, ready to print or save as a PDF.
READI Collect is patented technology that connects companies who need an on-site drug or alcohol collection to a nationwide network of professional specimen collectors, through the READI Collect web site. It exists to get a collector to the scene within the time limits a post-accident test allows. To learn more, visit our About page.
On-site drug and alcohol collections, dispatched to wherever the donor is: DOT and non-DOT urine collections, oral fluid, hair, blood, and breath alcohol tests, performed by trained and certified collectors. A collection can be requested for right now, or pre-scheduled for a future date such as a hiring event or a round of random tests.
Each guide above takes one task from the first click to the finished result, in real screens, on a computer and on a phone. Managers start at Register your company and work down. If you are on a company's roster, Request a collection for yourself is the only one you need. Collectors start at Join as a collector.
Sign up here to create your company, then add your team members so a collection can be requested for any of them at any time. There is no app to install: the same web site works on a computer and on a phone.
If you are a drug and alcohol specimen collector, register with our network, choose Collector, and complete your profile, credentials and rate sheet. Joining is free, and the Join as a collector tutorial walks you through it. If you manage a team of collectors, sign your company up and add them as collectors. Questions? Contact us.
Log in and use Request a Collection on your dashboard. A manager can request a collection for any team member; a team member can request one for themselves. The request goes out to nearby collectors immediately and the first to accept is on the way. For a future date, use Pre-scheduled Collection Request instead and dispatch will confirm the details with you. The Request a collection tutorial walks through every part of the form.
A company subscription is $39.99 a year, after a 30-day free trial. Collectors join at no charge. Each collection is charged separately; the price depends on the collector and the type of test.
If you employ drivers or other safety-sensitive staff, a post-accident alcohol test has to happen within hours and a drug test within thirty-two, usually somewhere far from a clinic. READI Collect brings a certified collector to the scene, keeps a minute-by-minute record of the request, and gives you the paperwork to show what was done and when.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us here.
READI Collect is the only effective way to get a post-accident drug test, and especially an alcohol test, done within the DOT-required time frame. Its comprehensive drug-testing program ensures the fastest response to a post-accident test request, so you have the best chance of meeting every criterion for a DOT-required post-accident drug and alcohol test.
Immediately following a vehicle or workplace accident, the driver, employee, or the employer’s Designated Employer Representative (DER) logs in to READI Collect from any device and requests a test. The patented system sends a geo-referenced request to our nationwide network of available mobile collection specialists, who respond immediately and travel to the employee’s location, 24/7/365.
This matters most to employers regulated by the Department of Transportation, whose drivers are often alone and far from the office, and to construction, oil and gas, railroad, and other industries where employees work in remote locations. An employee’s medical care should never be delayed while supervisors spend hours tracking down a mobile collector, especially after hours and at weekends. READI Collect determines what test is required, finds the closest collection specialist, and routes them to the scene. Registered users see minute-by-minute status, digital copies of the required forms, and notification of the final result, all in real time on the web site.
Only companies regulated by the Department of Transportation, and those working for the federal government in safety-sensitive positions, are required to conduct post-accident drug testing. Many employers outside those criteria still do, because it discourages drug use, encourages a safer workplace, and, as part of a comprehensive drug-testing program, reduces workers’ compensation, general liability, and vehicle insurance rates.
For DOT-regulated employers
For everyone else (non-DOT testing)
Urgency matters most for alcohol: breath alcohol levels drop quickly, and an employee who was under the influence could test negative if the test comes too late, leaving you liable for the damages.
Implement and enforce a written drug testing policy. You are required to have a company drug and alcohol testing policy in place, with all covered employees educated and applicable employees trained under it. The policy should state that all employees are subject to drug testing, including post-accident testing, and that refusing a test will be presumed positive. It should be signed by the employee and enforced universally; a policy that is not enforced can be argued not to exist.
Conduct training and education. Employees and supervisors must understand the policy, the consequences of violating it, and the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol in the workplace. Supervisors must be able to decide to initiate reasonable-suspicion testing; for DOT-mandated reasonable-suspicion testing, the supervisor must have completed an approved training course and hold the certificate.
Test immediately after the accident, even a minor one. A court can deny the intoxication presumption if the test comes too late. The test must strictly follow your documented policy and federal and state law, identify any substances used, and quantify drug and alcohol levels.
Take written statements immediately. In a signed statement the employee should say whether they consumed alcohol within 24 hours of the accident, or any non-prescribed controlled substance within 30 days. If you suspect drug or alcohol use, ask coworkers whether they noticed unusual behaviour and obtain written statements. Never discuss test results with the injured worker’s coworkers. Because of HIPAA, do not ask an employee whether they have taken a substance prescribed to them.
Approve emergency care immediately. The injured employee is entitled to reasonable emergency medical care until stabilised or discharged.
Do not encourage the use of drugs or alcohol. The intoxication defence is lost when an employer provides or encourages an intoxicating substance, or the intoxication occurs in pursuit of the employer’s interest. Keep a written policy against alcohol, even at work-related activities.
Several tests can be used, though some state or federal guidelines dictate which. Urine is the most common specimen for illicit drugs (DOT guidelines), and breath (BAT) is the most common for alcohol (DOT guidelines).
Oral fluid is an appropriate choice for post-accident testing because it detects recent drug use, but as of August 15, 2024, urine is the only federally approved specimen for DOT-covered CDL holders. For non-DOT tests, saliva needs only a small sample collected under direct observation, is hard to adulterate, and does not require the employee to leave the site: it can be done on site by a supervisor or trained staff member.
Under SAMHSA guidelines, testing should cover the five illicit drug classes (amphetamines, THC, cocaine, opiates, phencyclidine) and alcohol. For non-DOT situations, companies may test for any number of substances, including prescription drugs, as long as the company’s authorised drug and alcohol testing policy spells them out.
Alcohol tests are the most time-sensitive: within two to three hours, and never more than eight, because alcohol leaves the system quickly. Drug tests should be done as soon as possible and no later than thirty-two hours after the accident.
Then the employee should not be tested. Record the reason the test was not performed and keep the documentation; your policy should dictate what happens when testing cannot be done. This is where READI Collect is at its best: every carrier gets the best chance of meeting these strict time limits, and if a test still cannot happen you have a detailed record of the efforts made, which is the best answer to an auditor.
An employee who refuses a post-accident test should be subject to disciplinary action under the company’s guidelines. Refusal includes:
Make sure every driver can log in to READI Collect from their phone, has been through the tutorials, and has been trained on your company’s post-accident procedures. After an accident the driver follows your policy, logs in, requests the collection, and is connected with a professional collector in minutes. READI Collect is one part of a post-accident protocol, not the whole of it: always follow your company policy and your supervisor, and use READI Collect in accordance with them.
Post-accident procedures should be set out in your drug and alcohol testing (substance abuse) policy. A policy that covers the federal requirements is available from Labworks USA. If you also have non-DOT employees in safety-sensitive roles, adopt your state and local testing requirements and restrictions as well.
Most companies require every accident to be reported to a designated representative, who assesses whether testing is required. When an accident meets the criteria, READI Collect connects you with our network of collectors. If no collector is available, safe transportation to a testing facility should be provided as your guidelines set out: place the order in your drug-screening partner’s system (such as Labworks USA, the nation’s top DOT drug and alcohol testing consortium), or phone the nearest facility to confirm it can perform the required test before anyone travels there. Complete a detailed report as soon as possible and keep it in accordance with your policy.
Test when an accident or incident meets the criteria your policy establishes. Policies generally limit post-accident testing to situations where the employer has reasonable suspicion that the employee was impaired at the time and the accident was directly caused by that impairment. Testing designed in a way that feels punitive or embarrassing is likely to deter injury reporting. Any drug or alcohol testing should be clearly stated in your policy, and each covered employee should have been trained on it, received a copy, and signed it, with the employer keeping the signature page.
When post-accident testing is conducted, it is a good idea not to let employees involved in the accident return to work before the results are received, provided the employee is safe to send home in the meantime.