If you need reliable meth testing and advice by a qualified company in the Melbourne area, Greenlight offer services including:

• Sample collection by a tertiary qualified occupational hygienist;
• NATA accredited laboratory analysis;
• Documented location details with photos;
• Recommendations for any further actions, if needed;
• Two levels of investigation depending on your requirements – a Basic screen including 5 or 10 samples collected in composite, or a forensic level testing for drug lab investigations or remediation validation reports.

Be wary of companies that offer sample collection by field techs that have no tertiary training – these reports do not meet the National Guidelines and these companies often collect samples from areas outside the template (yielding higher results).

Companies such as Meth Screen have been found to be returning results for homes between 28 and 250 times higher than the same homes tested by independent and qualified environmental consultants (Lewis & Cohen, ABC – “Inside the meth-testing industry profiting from families’ fear”, March 2019).

Please be aware that this is an unregulated industry which means that there currently is no government watchdog like Work Safe keeping an eye on things – you need to be careful who you choose – you may save money up front only to find yourself in a financial bind later if you are not careful.

Choosing Greenlight will put you in safe hands – we are qualified consultants and we value your safety and the integrity of our process as our primary concerns.

We are always happy to discuss your situation and answer questions in detail on 03 9048 4411 or you can send us an email at info@greenlightservices.com.au.

Health effects of families living within a former Clandestine drug lab or even homes where there has been illicit drug use have been noted to consistently include respiratory issues and behavioural changes with a greater impact on children than on adults. Other health effects have been noted to include: skin rashes, headaches, sore eyes, sleep disturbance and dizziness.

Vetting Consultants

The Australian Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines require that investigations: “should be conducted by a suitably qualified expert with experience in the fields of environmental engineering, environmental science, environmental health or occupational hygiene, who is in possession of tertiary qualifications in one of these disciplines from a recognised educational institution.”

To avoid possible conflicts and biased testing, ensure that your consultant possesses one of the above tertiary qualifications.

Avoid Unqualified Technicians

Please note that the Clan Lab investigation and remediation industry is unregulated and there are a few companies operating in Australia that use unqualified field technicians for the collection of samples. Some of these companies may present their results with a covering letter by a qualified person. If the cover letter is read in full it will show that the site was not visited by the qualified person. This practice is not compliant with the Guidelines – the consultant visiting the site must be themselves qualified to carry out such investigations.

The samples collected should be compared to the appropriate Investigation Level as defined by the Australian Government Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines e.g.:

Investigation levels for meth testing as defined by the Australian Government Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines.

The sampling should be carried out in accordance with the methodology described in the NIOSH method 9111  i.e.

• Double latex non-powdered gloves are worn by the consultant during sampling activities;
• A 10cm x 10 cm cardboard template should be adhered to a selected surface using blue-tac or masking tape;
• A pre-prepared swab wetted with methanol should be used to collect each sample;
• Using firm pressure, the area of the template should be wiped in an “S” pattern;
• Folding the swab over with sample side in, and without touching any other surface, the area should be wiped again using firm pressure in a perpendicular “S” pattern;
• The sample should be placed into a plastic or glass tube and the lid screwed shut ready for transport;
• Outer gloves and templates should be then bagged in a zip-lock bag for disposal as contaminated waste;
• A unique sample identifier should be written on the tube and the chain of custody along with any location information;
• All samples should be bagged within an evidence bag for transportation to the laboratory (same day) and kept on ice within an esky;

Collection of samples should only be carried out by a tertiary qualified and appropriately trained and experienced consultant. Failure to adhere to the testing methodology or sample location selection in any way can lead to:

• False positives where a contamination is identified where it does not actually exist; or
• False negatives where a contamination is missed by the testing carried out.

Either of these is disastrous. For this reason, you should only hire a trained and tertiary qualified consultant.

To summarise, meth residue in residential housing is a rising concern and can have serious health implications particularly on children. Testing should only be carried out by tertiary qualified and trained consultants. Avoid untrained field technicians or meth testing kits as are used by some companies – these can lead to false positives (expensive) or false negatives (health consequences).

We are happy to discuss your situation in confidence. Make a Booking or call us on 03 9048 4411 for meth testing carried out for your Melbourne property today.