How long is a background check good for access to a consortium owner site?

Not all background checks are the same and those quicker, cheaper screenings you come across online won’t offer the same in-depth research for an applicant. Most employers use comprehensive background checks, like DISA’s, to ensure accuracy and prevent any mix-ups with aliases.

If the employee is non-DOT regulated, then yes you may have a single specimen collection. But for those who are DOT regulated, you cannot. (Please see Part 40 below).

40.17 How does the collector prepare the specimens?

a. All collections under DOT agency drug testing regulations must be split specimen collections.

b. As the collector, you must take the following steps, in order, after the employee brings the urine specimen to you. You must take these steps in the presence of the employee.

1. Check the box on the CCF (Step 2) indicating that this was a split specimen collection.
2. You, not the employee, must first pour at least 30mL of urine from the collection container into one specimen bottle, to be used for the primary specimen.
3. You, not the employee, must then pour at least 15 mL of urine from the collection container into the second specimen bottle to be used for the split specimen.
4. You, not the employee, must place and secure (i.e., tighten or snap) the lids/caps on the bottles.
5. You, not the employee, must seal the bottles by placing the tamper-evident bottle seals over the bottle caps/lids and down the sides of the bottles.

Instant background checks are more commonly known as “national criminal database searches” and provide general information pulled from a commercially available database. Although they have a quick return, the information is not corroborated against any official county court record and can provide inaccurate information as it’s not derived from a verified source. Comprehensive background checks are all-encompassing and compiled from a variety of sources, including local law enforcement, statewide criminal record repositories, departments of corrections, state parole and probation records, local public records sources, etc. This prevents mistaken identity matches that sometimes occur with instant checks when a person with the same name as the applicant has hits on their record. Employers must be cautious when choosing a background check process because choosing an instant check over a comprehensive check could lead to fines and lawsuits if they don’t abide by the guidelines set forth under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).