Warehouse temperature mapping
Large ambient warehouses are dominated by height, external walls, roof and season — so the sensor plan and the study calendar matter more than anything else.
In a 15–25 °C warehouse the challenge is scale. Heat stratifies vertically, external walls and roof track the weather, loading bays admit outside air and forklifts stir it. A useful study samples all of this deliberately.
Sensor plan
- A grid across the floor plan with sensors at low, mid and high rack levels.
- Extra sensors near loading doors, external walls, roof lights, heaters and air-handling units.
- Reference sensors at the existing monitoring points so the two datasets can be compared.
Season and duration
One week in spring does not characterise August. Guidance for large ambient stores is to map in both hot and cold seasons, or to justify why a single season bounds the risk. Keep a record of ambient weather during the study; it is the explanation for most of what the data show.
Frequently asked questions
- Do ambient 15–25 °C warehouses need temperature mapping?
- Yes. GDP requires mapping of storage areas before use, and ambient stores commonly show the largest gradients — especially at high rack levels in summer.
- How many sensors for a warehouse mapping study?
- Dozens for a typical distribution warehouse; the number follows from the grid spacing, rack heights and risk points, and each location must be justified in the protocol.
References
- [1]WHO Technical Supplement 8 to TRS 961 Annex 9: Temperature mapping of storage areas (2015)
- [2]EU Guidelines on Good Distribution Practice of medicinal products for human use (2013/C 343/01)
General technical guidance written against the cited sources. It is not regulatory or legal advice and does not replace the applicable standard, guideline or a qualified reviewer's judgement.
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