Create a chain of custody

A Chain of Custody (CoC) documents the samples you hand to a laboratory, the analyses you request, and each physical custody handoff from sampler to lab. This guide walks you from a new CoC through adding samples, transfers, and analyses, to printing the signed PDF form. A CoC belongs to one Project and is built from snapshot fields you transcribe off the paper form, so its values can differ from the live Project and Laboratory records by design.

Before you start

• Permission required: Adding a CoC and its children (samples, transfers, analyses, assignments) needs Add-level access to the Project's data. Editing or removing those records, and unassigning an analysis, needs Edit-level access.
• Prerequisites: A Project to own the CoC, and at least one Sample in that Project to list on it. See Record a sample.

Steps

Create the chain of custody

1. Go to Data Management → Projects, then select a Project.

2. In the Project's left nav, select Chain of Custodies.

3. Select Add. The Create Chain of Custody dialog opens.

4. Enter the header fields:

   Field	What to enter
   Select Organization (optional)	Pick a registered Organization to auto-fill the company fields. Optional.
   Company Name	Required. Whoever is shipping the samples, often a sub-consultant — free text.
   Company Address, Company Phone, Company Email	Optional. Free text; no format checks. You can enter more than one email address or phone number, separated by commas.
   Project Manager	Optional.
   Code	Required. Unique within the Project.
   Status	Defaults to Draft. See Status values.
   Laboratory	Optional. Pick a registered Laboratory; its Organization name fills Laboratory Name.
   Laboratory Name	Required. The lab as written on the form — use this for a lab you have not registered.
   Sampled By	Optional. The person who collected the samples.
   Shipping Method, Tracking Number	Optional.
   Requested TAT (days)	Optional. The turnaround you are requesting, in days; must be positive.
   Notes	Optional.

5. Select Create. The CoC opens on its Overview tab, with Samples, Analyses, and Transfers tabs beside it.

Erde fills Project Code from the live Project automatically. To change it, or to add a Project Task Code, edit the CoC from its Overview tab — both are free-text snapshots that can differ from the live Project by design.

Add samples

Each CoC sample links to a real Sample in the Project and carries snapshot fields you can correct independently.

1. Open the Samples tab and select Add.

2. In Linked Sample, search and select a Sample from the Project. This link is required.

3. Enter the sample row:

   Field	What to enter
   Sequence Number	Required, positive, unique on this CoC.
   Sample Name	Required. Defaults from the linked Sample's code; editable.
   Sample Matrix	Optional. Free text, or quick-pick a Matrix code such as GW. Falls back to the linked Sample's matrix.
   Sample Date, Sample Time	Optional. Pre-filled from the linked Sample; editable. A time requires a date.
   Container Count	Required. Number of containers; 0 is allowed but raises a warning.
   Notes	Optional.

4. Select Add. Repeat for each sample on the form.

info

A CoC sample records a Container Count only. Per-container detail records are not part of this release.

Add transfers

A transfer is one custody handoff — the relinquish-and-receive pair when samples change hands.

1. Open the Transfers tab and select Add.

2. Enter the handoff:

   Field	What to enter
   Sequence Number	Required, positive, unique on this CoC.
   Relinquished By	Required. Who released the samples.
   Relinquished Organization	Optional.
   Relinquished At	Required. Date and time released.
   Received By, Received Organization	Optional.
   Received At	Optional. Must not be before Relinquished At.
   Notes	Optional.

3. Select Add. Add one transfer per handoff, sequenced sampler to courier to lab.

Request analyses and assign them to samples

An analysis is one test you request on this CoC. After listing the analyses, you map which samples get which analysis.

1. Open the Analyses tab and select Add.

2. In Analysis Method, search and select a Method.

3. Enter the analysis:

   Field	What to enter
   Sequence Number	Required, positive, unique on this CoC.
   Analysis Name	Required. Defaults from the method code; editable, for example VOCs 8260, TAL Metals. Unique on this CoC.

4. Select Add. Repeat for each requested analysis.

5. With at least one analysis listed, select Assign Samples in the toolbar. The Sample - Analysis Assignments matrix opens, with samples as rows and analyses as columns.

6. Check a box to assign an analysis to a sample; clear it to unassign. Checking (assign) uses Add-level access; clearing (unassign) uses Edit-level access.

7. Close the matrix when finished.

Generate the CoC document

1. Return to the Chain of Custodies list, or to the CoC's row menu.
2. Select the row menu (the dots) and choose Print COC to render the filled PDF (COC-{Code}.pdf). Samples appear in sequence order, with an X in each analysis column the sample is assigned to. You can also print from the CoC's Overview tab: open the actions overflow menu (the dots beside Edit/Delete) and select Print COC.
3. To print an empty form for hand-completion in the field, select Print Blank COC from the list toolbar (COC-Blank.pdf).

Status values

The CoC moves through four statuses. Moving a status backward, and editing a CoC that is Closed, are both allowed but raise a non-blocking warning.

Value	Meaning	Notes
Draft	Being prepared	Default on a new CoC
Submitted	Sent to the lab	—
Received	Lab has received the samples	—
Closed	Finished	Editing a closed CoC warns on every change

Result

The Project's Chain of Custodies list shows the new CoC with its Code, Status, Laboratory, and Sampled By. Opening it shows the samples, transfers, and analyses you added, and Print COC produces a filled PDF with one X per assigned sample-and-analysis pair within the printed columns.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Resolution
Add is unavailable on the list or a tab	You lack Add-level access, or the Project is locked	Ask an administrator for Add access; unlock the Project to edit a locked one.
Saving warns that a status moved back	The new status is earlier in the lifecycle than the prior one	Expected — confirm to save, or pick a forward status.
Saving a sample warns about no containers	Container Count is 0	Confirm it is intentional, or enter the container count.
Saving a transfer warns it relinquished before the prior transfer was received, or before the latest sample was collected	Transfer times are out of order with earlier handoffs or sample collection	Check the dates and times; the save still succeeds.
A printed CoC footnotes "more analyses recorded electronically"	The paper form prints the first 15 analysis columns	View the remaining analyses on the Analyses tab; the form caps printed columns at 15.
Deleting the CoC reports it has dependents	A Lab Report references this CoC	Detach or delete the dependent Lab Report first.

Related

• Chain of custody overview
• Record a sample
• Lab reports