Definition
Chain of Custody
The documented trail tracking a sample from collection through analysis, ensuring test results are legally defensible.
The Full Picture
Chain of custody (COC) is a documentation protocol that tracks physical samples — soil, water, air, mold, asbestos — from the moment they're collected in the field through transportation, laboratory receipt, analysis, and disposal. The COC form records who collected the sample, when and where it was collected, how it was preserved, who transported it, when the lab received it, and what analyses were requested. Any break in the chain — a missing signature, an unsigned transfer, a time gap — can invalidate the results in legal or regulatory proceedings.
Why It Matters
Why field professionals need to document this
For environmental consultants, mold inspectors, and anyone collecting samples for laboratory analysis, the chain of custody is as important as the sample itself. A contaminated sample with perfect COC documentation is a known problem. A perfect sample with a broken chain of custody is useless evidence. Field professionals must document sample collection meticulously — location, depth, conditions, equipment used, preservation method — as part of the overall inspection report.
In a Report
How this shows up in findings
Here's how a chain of custody finding looks in a professional field report generated by ReportWalk:
Air sample COC: Location master bedroom, 75 L/min for 5 minutes, Bio-Pump Plus serial #4521, collected 10:32 AM, transferred to EMLab P&K via FedEx same day
Soil sample COC: Boring B-3, depth 4-6 feet, stained soil with petroleum odor, placed in 4oz glass jar, preserved at 4°C
Relevant For
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