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Environmental & Risk Management / Clean Building / Environmental Hazard Manager
Environmental & Risk Management / Clean Building / Field Assessor

Recording Hazardous Substance Test Results

Once you collect samples from areas, you need to send the samples to a lab for testing. When the lab returns the test results, you enter these results into the system so that you have a complete documentation trail of your sample collection and testing.

Note: When entering information about the lab that tested your samples and the materials found in your samples, you will often choose from lists of existing data. As part of setting up the background data for your abatement projects, a facility manager or other person at your site developed these lists. If you need to enter values that are not available in these existing lists, contact your facility manager so that they can update these lists.

Documenting the Lab that Tested your Samples

As part of collecting samples, the inspector, field assessor, or hazard manager likely created a Material Samples record with the details of where and when they collected the sample. You now need to update this record with the results of testing this sample at the lab.

  1. On the Process Navigator, select the Manage Assessment Items task.

  2. Select the hazard assessment project to see a list of existing assessment items for this project.
Lab ID Choose from the existing list of labs with which your site works. Note that the lab's details and certification information has been previously entered by your facility manager.

Lab Log Number

 Enter the number by which the lab identified this sample. This may be the same number that you used when collecting the sample and entered in the Sample Code field.

Date Received
Date of Analysis

 The lab will provide the dates it received and performed the analysis.

Lab Analyst Name

 If available on the lab report, enter the specific lab analyst who worked with this sample.

Archived Sample

 Indicate whether or not the lab archived this sample.
Document Use this document field to store scanned copies of any documents related to the sample. For example, you can scan the lab report and attach the file as a document.

Documenting the Sample Results

With basic information about the lab completed, you can now enter the specific substances found in your sample, as indicated in the report returned from the lab. Each substance will be recorded on its own record.

When entering your results, you can choose the level of detail that you want to track. For example, you may choose to enter only substances that are deemed as hazardous, or only those whose quantity requires action on your part. For the most complete documentation, enter everything that is listed on your lab report, as you may need to revisit these results in the future.

In order to match how some government regulations track hazardous substances, the lab may report on the presence of substances in terms of ranges, or indicate that a composition was less than or greater than an amount. For example, if it is not necessary to act on the presence of a substance that is less than 100 parts per million, the lab may simply report that the value was less than 100 parts per million, rather than provide the exact amount. The system accommodates this type of reporting, as referenced below.

  1. Follow the above procedure for accessing the sample record and recording lab information.
  2. Examine the Material Sample Lab Results frame at the bottom of the screen.
  3. For each new substance that you need to enter, choose the Add New button .
  4. The system displays a panel to the right with the following fields. Complete these fields to enter your sample results. Note that you can use the Qualifier field to enter an exact amount (using the Result field), or to enter a range (using the Result and Result 2 fields).
Composition Choose from the existing list of chemical compositions which are typically found in samples.

Qualifier

Choose =, >, or < and enter the amount in the Result field. Or, to enter a range, choose the Between or Not Between entries and enter the range in Result 1 and Result 2.

Result

 Enter the amount of composition (per Units specified below) that was found in your sample. The lab will typically return results as percentages or parts per million values.

Result 2

 Complete this field if you are entering a range.

Units

 Choose the units in which your values in Result and Result 2 are being measured. This is typically the %” or “ppm” unit since labs often return results in these measurements, rather than in absolute values.
CAS Number If the value that you entered for Composition has an associated CAS Number, the system automatically displays this value in this field once you save the record.
Is Hazard? This value is associated with the value that you enter for Composition. The system automatically completes this field once you save the record.
Sample Code When you save the record, the system displays the identifying value of the sample to which this lab result pertains.
Sample Prefix # When you save the record, the system displays the identifying prefix (if developed) of the sample to which this lab result pertains.
  1. Choose Save and the system updates your fields for your review, and lists this composition in the left pane. If you have many items to enter, you can choose Save and Add New for the system to save your record and immediately display an empty form so that you can enter the next item.
  2. Repeat until all items documented on your lab report for this sample are entered into the system.

Analyzing the Lab Result Data

Now that you have the sample results recorded, you can review this information and determine the items that need immediate attention. Use the lab result data when completing various fields of the Assessment Item records. For example, you might want to consider lab results when completing the following fields. For information on completing these fields, see Provide Details about Surveying a Hazmat Assessment Item.