What Is a Monitored Urine Collection?

A monitored urine collection is one in which a monitor is present in a multistall restroom but does not watch the employee urinate, as described in 49 CFR 40.69.

The rule states that this is the only circumstance in which a monitored collection is conducted: a multistall restroom where all sources of water and other substances cannot be secured. The collector secures the room so only the employee and the monitor can enter.

Under 40.69, the monitor is of the same sex as the employee unless the monitor is a licensed or certified medical professional, and does not need to be a qualified collector. If sounds or other observations indicate an attempt to tamper, an additional collection under direct observation is required. An employee who declines to allow a monitored collection has refused to test, according to the rule. Collections in which the observer does watch are covered in When Is a DOT Urine Collection Directly Observed?.