How Can Drug Testers Tell If A Urine Test Is Fake? - ELH / HR4Sight (2024)

Workplace drug testing is a subject that employers, health and safety officials, and employees will debate for a long time to come. The notion of workplace testing is that it keeps everyone safe. It tells companies who are under the influence at any given time and could be a liability. The problem is that urine testing can also show the use of legal substances taken days before the test. That can include prescription medication that includes opioids, legal marijuana, and other substances taken outside of company time. Naturally, workers in these situations don’t want their bosses to see the samples and get the wrong idea. So, some will use fake samples instead. Does this work? How easy is it to detect a fake sample?

What Is A Fake Urine Test Sample?

Before we look at the different types of indicators that flag up questionable urine testing samples, we need to go over what we mean by fake. Some people choose to give samples that aren’t 100% genuine. They feel it’s better for their personal rights and privacy not to give a sample that could jeopardize their reputation and role within a company. Now, clearly, there are times when workplace drug testing is essential, such as right after a serious accident. However, we’re talking about the random tests.

These workers who give an illegitimate sample can do so in three ways. Some provide real urine produced at the time of asking, but they just tamper with it in some form to lessen the chance of testers detecting drugs. This could be through a form of dilution, where they drink a lot of water to lower the uric acid content and flush out the markers. Detox drinks are also available. Others will add chemicals to the sample, such as household cleaners and lemon juice.

The other option is to provide a substitution. This fake urine sample could be real urine from another subject, such as a co-worker or an animal. It could also be synthetic urine manufactured at home or bought online. This is one of the most stress-free approaches for test subjects because it’s so easy to give a pre-prepared sample. However, it’s not without its problems when it comes to making the sample appear legitimate.

5 Signs That A Sample Isn’t Legitimate

Drug testers are fully aware that workers will try and cheat the system in some way. They know about the fake samples and the methods of dilution and adulteration. That’s why they have methods in place to test for every possible red flag and determine whose sample is real and who isn’t. Issues with the following can indicate problems with the urine testing sample. This is valuable information for testers, employers, and those wondering how to beat the system.

1) Color

This is the most obvious sign that something isn’t right with a sample. It’s possible that something too dark or pale could be a medical issue. Still, very pale, watery urine can signify dilution. There’s also the risk that some unregulated detoxifiers will lead to abnormalities in the color of the sample that are a clear giveaway. Test subjects that use these do so at their own risk.

2) Odor

Those who use chemical agents to adulterate their sample can also find that this backfires significantly. They will add agents to the urine to mask or break drug markers, but some of these are so easy to detect that the effort is futile. When you add bleach to urine, it smells too much like bleach. The same goes for any vinegar or lemon juice.

3) Temperature

This is something that test subjects don’t always take into consideration when tampering with a sample. Urine has a set temperature range when it’s fresh because it just comes out of the body. It should be anywhere between 32 and 38 degrees Celsius. Deviations from this can raise the alarm for testers. Something too cold isn’t fresh at all. Workers can get around this one if they are prepared to keep their substitute sample within this temperature range via urine warmer.

4) Consistency

Much like the color issue, this one can be easy to spot straight away. Testers sometimes receive samples that are completely wrong for natural human urine. If it ever comes out frothing as though there’s a chemical reaction going on, you’ve got serious problems. The problem for subjects that adulterate samples is that the addition of detergents and other chemicals can lead to this sort of worrying consistency.

5) Reactions with chemical markers

Finally, there are the reactions with chemical markets on test strips. These strips have special colorimetric reaction points on them that indicate specific issues. A sample could get a reaction from one or many, proving it has been tampered with somehow. The spots can pick all kinds of chemicals, including nitrites and peroxide. It also determines the pH and oxidant levels. These products are so popular and standardized that they are included in the sample containers for testing. They are impossible to avoid and hard to beat.

Is It Possible To Beat A Urine Test With Fake Urine?

Workers who are concerned about passing workplace urine testing and want to provide a false sample instead can try any of the methods mentioned before. However, the sophistication of the testing methods and the range of variables for detection make it really difficult. You would have to plan ahead with the perfect synthetic sample or substitution with safe human urine to beat the system. The takeaway here for those considering faking a urine sample to beat workplace drug testing is simple. If you’re going to do it, you have to be really smart about it. There are so many giveaways in fake and adulterated samples. One slight issue with the color, texture, temperature, and odor, and you’re going to get flagged as a possible cheat. It’s understandable to want to protect your rights and hide legitimate drug use in workplace tests, but the last thing you need is it backfiring on you.

The Risks of Using Fake Urine in Workplace Drug Test

Although it is possible to attempt to beat a drug test with fake urine, there are some risks to consider. First, most employers have zero-tolerance policies about employees providing the company with false information. This includes false drug tests, and means you may lose your job if you try to beat a drug test. Additionally, if you are fired for attempting to beat a drug test, it may come back to bite you if future employers asks the prior employer about your job performance and your reason for leaving.

Furthermore, if you are impaired on the job because of drugs or alcohol, and you are in accident, there are many potentially negative consequences. First, it you are injured on the job when you are impaired, you will likely lose your job and workers’ compensation benefits. If you injure another employee while impaired, you may not only lose your job, but you may be personally liable for the co-workers injures and be subject to criminal charges.

Featured Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash.