Field Deployment, Retrieval, and Chain of Custody
Field Deployment, Retrieval, and Chain of Custody
This domain tests whether the field record can withstand review.
Core rules
- Before deployment, verify device condition, serial number, calibration or expiration, and packaging. Label each device with client, address, location, and start time.
- Record placement details: room, height, distance from walls and doors, HVAC status, and any unusual conditions.
- At retrieval, record stop time, device condition, and any tamper indication. Seal the device per manufacturer or lab instructions and ship promptly within the holding time.
- For CRMs, retrieve hourly data and check for power interruption, motion or tamper flags, and abnormal first or last hours. Keep the field log and chain-of-custody form with signatures and dates.
- Never backdate or “correct” a field log without a documented amendment.
Worked example
A CRM reports a tamper flag at hour 10 and a 4-hour data gap. The technician should document the event, not delete it. The lab or QA reviewer decides whether the test is valid; the field record must show what happened.
Traps
Missing serial numbers; using a device past its calibration date; not recording start and stop times; ignoring CRM tamper flags; shipping without chain of custody; writing vague notes such as “placed in basement.”