Meth Testing
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Meth Tester
Questions to ask a meth tester about sampling method, laboratory analysis, independence from remediation and what the report will contain.
Guides from Test Australia on methamphetamine, mould, bacteria and fire-damage testing: how sampling works, how laboratory results are read, the rental and disclosure rules in each state, and what a report should contain. For our services, see meth testing, mould inspection and all services.
Questions to ask a meth tester about sampling method, laboratory analysis, independence from remediation and what the report will contain.
What to check before engaging a meth tester: sampling method, NATA-accredited laboratory analysis, independence from remediation and reporting.
The qualifications and professional memberships to look for in a meth tester, and how to check a laboratory is NATA-accredited for the test.
What is and is not regulated in Australian meth testing, and what to check: qualifications, sampling method, laboratory accreditation and reporting.
Why the company testing a property should be independent of the company remediating it, as WA Health recommends, and what that means for a report.
How to check that a laboratory is NATA-accredited for the specific test, and why a tester saying "NATA-accredited testing" needs checking.
Instant meth test kits are presumptive screens, not laboratory analysis. What a screen tells you, its limits, and when to confirm by laboratory testing.
The 0.5 µg/100 cm² level is an investigation level in the 2011 Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines, not a line between safe and unsafe.
0.5 µg/100 cm² is the residential indoor-surface investigation level for methamphetamine in the Australian Government’s Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines (2011). A result above it triggers further investigation or remediation. It is not a line between safe and unsafe, and it applies whether residue came from use or manufacture. There is no Australian Standard for meth testing.
A DIY meth kit is a presumptive lateral-flow screen. It indicates whether methamphetamine may be present above the kit’s cut-off of 0.5 µg/100 cm², but it is not laboratory analysis and gives no concentration. Follow a positive or uncertain screen with laboratory testing, which measures the amount in each sample. A field assessment documents chain of custody.
Check the tester’s qualifications, the laboratory’s accreditation for the specific test, and whether the tester or a related business takes cleaning or referral income. Ask how the sampling plan is designed and what the report will include. A provider should be able to supply this information on request.
WA Health recommends that the company testing a property is different from the company remediating it. Test Australia tests and gives a signed opinion. We do not clean, remediate, manage claims, or receive income from cleaning, remediation or referral arrangements. The evidence is the same whoever engages us — owner, buyer, tenant, landlord, insurer, loss adjuster or remediator.
A contamination report should set out the method, the results, the criterion each result is compared with, and the limitations. It should name the assessor and their qualifications and include laboratory certificates. Our reports are prepared so they can be relied on in a tribunal, court or insurance claim. Whether it is relied on is a decision for that body.
There is no Australian Standard for meth testing, but published guidelines and methods apply. The Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines (2011) set the 0.5 µg/100 cm² residential investigation level for methamphetamine. NIOSH 9111 is a US surface-wipe method, and NATA accredits laboratories to ISO/IEC 17025. Remediation standards include IICRC S900 (drug residues) and IICRC S520 (mould).