01Purpose and scope
To establish, at the moment an item enters the laboratory, exactly what was received, in what condition, from whom, and what question it is meant to answer.
Applies to every physical item and every digital delivery (extraction archives, log exports, images on media) received for examination.
02Prerequisites
- A written request stating the matter, the questions, the authority and any deadline.
- A registration log (case register) with unique laboratory numbers.
- A secure storage area with access logging.
03Steps
Check the delivery against the paperwork
Compare each item with the chain-of-custody form and the delivery note: evidence numbers, descriptions, seal numbers. Note every discrepancy before signing.
RecordDiscrepancy list, even if empty.
Inspect seals and packaging
Photograph each package sealed, then the seal close-up. Record whether seals are intact. Do not open until the inspection is recorded.
RecordSeal status and photographs.
Open, inspect and photograph the item
Open in a controlled area. Photograph the item from all sides, including serial labels, ports and visible damage. Confirm make, model and identifiers against the inventory.
RecordItem photographs; confirmed identifiers.
Assign laboratory identifiers
Give the matter a case number and each item a laboratory item number that maps to the submitter's evidence number. Label the item and its container.
RecordMapping table: submitter number ↔ laboratory number.
For digital deliveries, verify the hash on receipt
Compute the hash of every delivered file and compare with the value stated by the sender. A mismatch is recorded and reported before any examination.
RecordReceipt hash table.
Register the request
Record the questions asked, the authority, the deadline, the requester's contact and any constraints (for example, which data may not be examined).
RecordCase register entry.
Store and log
Place the item in secure storage. Log location, time and person. Add a chain-of-custody line for the transfer into storage.
RecordStorage log; chain of custody line.
04Records produced
- Signed delivery check with discrepancy list
- Intake photographs
- Identifier mapping table
- Receipt hash table for digital deliveries
- Case register entry and storage log
05Pitfalls
- Signing for a delivery before checking it makes the laboratory responsible for pre-existing damage or missing items.
- Opening a package without photographing the seal loses the only evidence that it was intact.
- Accepting an extraction archive without the sender's hash leaves its integrity unverifiable later.