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Types of Work

Types of Assessment Work: The Questions We Answer

Examples of the questions owners, buyers, tenants, landlords and insurers ask us to answer, and what our assessments cover. They describe the type of work, not the outcome of any particular job.

Examples

What We Are Asked to Find Out

Our reports set out the method, chain of custody, results, uncertainty and limitations so that any party can test them. Whether a court, tribunal or insurer relies on a report is a decision for them.

Meth Testing
Meth Testing

Manufacture or Use?

A property returns methamphetamine results above the 0.5 µg/100 cm² investigation level, and the owner needs to know what the evidence says about how the residue got there. No concentration on its own shows that a property or vehicle was used for manufacture. An opinion on manufacture rests on manufacture-specific markers and site evidence, assessed together, and the report states its limits.

Sampling plan built for the question
Manufacture-specific markers assessed with site evidence
Opinion stated with its limits
Meth Testing
Meth Testing

Reviewing How a Property Was Sampled

An owner has a report based on a few samples, one of them much higher than the rest. We assess the property with representative sampling and report every location, so the two reports can be compared on method, sampling locations, laboratory certificates and chain of custody.

Every sample location recorded
Interpretation of each result explained
Results compared against the named criterion
Fire Damage
Fire Damage

Residue Beyond the Burn Area

After a fire, the question is how far soot and combustion residues such as PAH have spread, including into rooms that look undamaged. The report names the criterion used and why.

Sampling in burnt and unburnt rooms
Laboratory named in the report
The report is the same whoever commissions it
Mould Testing
Mould Testing

Mould in a Rental Property

A landlord and tenant disagree about the cause of mould. The inspection maps moisture, identifies the mould types present and records the evidence about where the moisture is coming from, for both parties to see.

Moisture mapping and thermal imaging
Mould samples analysed by an independent laboratory
Findings and limits stated in plain English
Pre-Purchase
Pre-Purchase

Testing Before You Buy

A buyer wants evidence about methamphetamine residue before committing to a purchase. Sampling is arranged with the seller or agent and timed to leave room for laboratory analysis before the contract deadline.

Access arranged through the agent
Analysis by a NATA-accredited laboratory
Signed report for the buyer

Frequently asked questions

How do I read a meth test report?

Start with each result in µg/100 cm² and its criterion, then read the limitations. A Test Australia report sets out the method, the results, the criterion each result is compared with, and the limitations. The laboratory certificate is included so the results can be checked. If a report from any tester leaves these out, ask for them.

My result is just above 0.5 µg/100 cm². What does that mean?

It means the result is above the investigation level, which triggers further investigation or remediation. It is not a line between safe and unsafe. Look at where the sample was taken, what the other samples showed and the stated measurement uncertainty. A single result from a location that tends to collect residue may not represent the whole property.

Why do different rooms show different results?

How each room was used, air movement, the type of surface and the cleaning history all affect results. The pattern across the property is part of the evidence the report considers. The report sets out the method, the results, the criterion each result is compared with, and the limitations.

Can I get a second opinion on meth test results?

Yes. A second assessment can be compared with the first on method, sampling locations, laboratory certificates and chain of custody. It helps if you have the first report and its laboratory certificates. The report sets out the method, the results, the criterion each result is compared with, and the limitations.

How do I read a mould report?

Read which mould types were found, where moisture was found and how the results compare with the criteria named in the report. For air samples, indoor results are compared with outdoor air. The report sets out the method, the results, the criterion each result is compared with, and the limitations.

What should a contamination report include?

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.

Reviewed for Test Australia by Dan Neil, Principal Occupational Hygienist and Chartered Chemist (MRACI CChem). Dan has 25 years in industrial chemistry and forensic science experience and has been a member of the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists for more than 13 years. Last reviewed .

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