Minnesota Administrative Rules
Agency 144 - Health Department
Chapter 4740 - LABORATORIES; ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS
Part 4740.2087 - SAMPLE HANDLING, RECEIPT, AND ACCEPTANCE

A. A laboratory must have procedures for the transportation, receipt, handling, protection, storage, retention, and disposal of samples. The procedures must include provisions necessary to protect the integrity of the sample and to protect the interests of the laboratory and the client.

B. A laboratory must have a system for identifying samples. The sample's identification must be retained throughout the life of the sample in the laboratory. The identification system must be designed and operated so as to ensure that samples cannot be confused physically or when referred to in laboratory documentation. The identification of samples must accommodate a subdivision of groups of samples and the transfer of samples between laboratories.

C. Upon receipt of samples, the condition, including any abnormalities or departures from specified conditions as described in the laboratory's quality assurance manual, must be recorded. When there is doubt as to the suitability of a sample for environmental testing, when a sample does not conform to the description provided, or when the environmental test required is not specified in sufficient detail, the laboratory must consult the client for further instructions before proceeding and must maintain a written record of the discussion.

D. When an insufficient amount of sample is received, a laboratory may choose to subsample if subsampling would not cause loss of sample integrity. Information concerning the insufficient amount of sample and any decision to subsample must be indicated with the test results.

E. A laboratory must have procedures and appropriate facilities for avoiding deterioration, contamination, loss, or damage to the sample during storage, handling, preparation, and testing.

F. When samples require storage under specified environmental conditions, the conditions must be maintained, monitored, and recorded. When a sample or a portion of a sample is to be held secure, a laboratory must have arrangements for storage and security that protect the condition and integrity of the secured samples or portions concerned.

G. Samples, sample fractions, extracts, leachates, and other products of sample preparation must be kept in storage units, such as cabinets, refrigerators, or freezers, that are separate from the storage units for all standards, reagents, food, and other potentially contaminating sources. Samples must be stored in such a manner to prevent contamination between samples.

A . all samples that require chemical preservation are considered acceptable if the laboratory verifies that the preservation meets the requirements of the approved method. A laboratory must implement procedures for checking chemical preservation before sample preparation or analysis except for methods where postanalysis preservation checks are required to ensure that sample integrity is not compromised. When specified in permit, program, or rule, chemical preservation must be verified upon receipt; and

B. a laboratory must maintain chronological records, either paper-based or electronic, such as a log book or database, to document receipt of all samples, including the number and types of containers received for each field of testing. The records must include:

A. A laboratory must have a written sample acceptance policy that clearly outlines the circumstances under which samples will be accepted or rejected by the laboratory. Data from samples that do not meet the laboratory's criteria must be recorded in an unambiguous manner clearly defining the nature and substance of the deviation from acceptable procedures.

B. A laboratory's sample acceptance policy must be made available to sample collection personnel and must address, at a minimum:

C. If the sample does not meet the sample receipt acceptance criteria listed in the laboratory's quality assurance manual, the laboratory must retain correspondence and records of conversations concerning the final disposition of rejected samples or fully document any decision to proceed with the analysis of samples not meeting acceptance criteria. The report of samples analyzed without meeting the sample acceptance criteria must indicate, at a minimum, the condition of the samples on the chain-of-custody, transmittal form, or the laboratory receipt documents in addition to appropriately qualifying the analysis data on the final report.