DETAILED PROCEDURE AND

GUIDELINES

ON

TEMPERATURE MAPPING
STUDY & QUALIFICATION
OF

COLD ROOMS,
WAREHOUSES, VANS,
TRUCKS, REEFERS,
REFRIGERATORS & BOXES

FOR

PHARMACEUTICAL
INDUSTRY

Revision History:
Revision no. Date of issue Description
0 16 Nov 2014 Original Issue
1 2 Jan 2015 Sl. No. 3 and subheadings added.
Sl. No. 5 and subheadings added.
Sl. No. 7 and subheadings added.
2 17 Jul 2016 Major revisions done

This document is copy righted to Vacker LLC, Dubai and no part of this document may be
reproduced in any form whatsoever without permission from us.

Vacker LLC l PO Box 92438 l Dubai l UAE Part of VackerGlobal Group

Phone : (+971) 4 2 66 11 44 l Fax : (+971) 4 2 66 11 55 Our offices : UAE (Corp. Office), India, Oman , Kuwait, USA
email:[email protected] www.vackerglobal.com
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Temperature Mapping Study / Temperature & Humidity Mapping study ............................. 3

1.1.1. Why would you require Temperature Mapping Study (aka Temperature Distribution
study)? 3
1.1.2. How do we carry out temperature mapping study? ........................................................... 4
1.2. What is temperature and humidity mapping study? .......................................................... 5
1.2.1. Do you require a temperature mapping or temperature & humidity mapping? .................... 5
1.2.2. What is the recommended humidity level for storage of medicines? .................................. 6
1.2.3. How to reduce the humidity for cold rooms and warehouses for medicine storage? ............ 6
1.3. Documentation required prior to commencement of a mapping study................................ 6
1.4. Protocol for mapping study ............................................................................................. 6
1.5. Acceptance criteria for the mapping study? ...................................................................... 6
1.6. How to decide the sampling interval of data collection for the mapping study .................... 7
1.7. How to use the results of temperature mapping study ...................................................... 7
1.8. Temperature mapping study / Temperature & Humidity mapping study for various assets .. 8
1.8.1. Temperature mapping study of Reefer trucks & vans........................................................ 8
1.8.2. Temperature mapping study of a ware house .................................................................. 8
1.8.3. Temperature mapping study of Cold room ....................................................................... 9
1.8.4. Temperature mapping study of a refrigerator ................................................................... 9
1.8.5. Temperature mapping study of a shipping box ................................................................. 9
1.9. Reports generated in Temperature Mapping study ........................................................... 9
2. What is Temperature Qualification study? (or Temperature & Humidity Qualification
study) 10
2.1. Difference between Temperature mapping study and Temperature qualification study ..... 10
2.2. How to decide whether you need Temperature Mapping study or Temperature Qualification
Study? 11
2.3. Do you require a Temperature qualification study or Temperature and humidity qualification?
11
2.4. Advantages of a Temperature qualification study over a mapping study .......................... 11
2.5. Documentation required prior to commencement of a qualification process ..................... 12
2.6. Reports of a Temperature qualification study ................................................................. 12
3. How to carry out a Qualification study ........................................................................... 12
3.1. How to carry out qualification of a box .......................................................................... 12
3.2. How to carry out qualification of a Cold Room ................................................................ 13
3.3. How to carry out qualification of a Van or reefer ............................................................ 13
4. Reasons for failure of a Mapping study .......................................................................... 13

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Phone : (+971) 4 2 66 11 44 l Fax : (+971) 4 2 66 11 55 Our offices : UAE, Oman, Kuwait, UK, USA
email:[email protected] www.vackerglobal.com
 4.1. Reasons for failure of mapping study of a van ................................................................ 13
4.2. Reasons for failure of mapping study of a cold room ...................................................... 14
4.3. Reasons for failure of mapping study of a Ware house ................................................... 15
4.4. What is the validity period of a temperature mapping study and temperature qualification
study? 15
5. Reasons for failure of a Qualification study .................................................................... 15
5.1. Reasons for failure of qualification study of a van ........................................................... 15
5.2. Reasons for failure of qualification of a cold room .......................................................... 16
5.3. Reasons for failure of qualification of a passive box ........................................................ 16
5.4. Reasons for failure of qualification of an active box ........................................................ 16
6. How to improve the results of the test and eliminate chances of failure? ......................... 16
6.1. Advantages of a trial study ........................................................................................... 16
6.2. How to carry out a trial study? ...................................................................................... 17
7. What is Validation? What is difference from Qualification? .............................................. 17
8. Documents related to Mapping study & Qualification ...................................................... 18

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Phone : (+971) 4 2 66 11 44 l Fax : (+971) 4 2 66 11 55 Our offices : UAE, Oman, Kuwait, UK, USA
email:[email protected] www.vackerglobal.com
 Temperature mapping study and Temperature qualification study are generally for
pharmaceutical industry. There are different kind of medicines and vaccines, which we store
and transport under controlled temperatures. Majority of these medicines and vaccines are
under two categories viz. Those, which require storage between 2 to 8 Degree Centigrade,
and those stored between 15 to 25°C. Also, there are many which need storage in sub zero
freezers.

It is important for the efficacy of the medicine that they

are stored and transported at the recommended
temperature limits as above. If the medicine or vaccine
goes above these temperature limits, it loses the
medicinal properties and most importantly, the products
will not show any indication that about such loss. In
such case the ultimate distributor and user will be
unaware of the efficacy of the medicine.

We are discussing about the medicines generally stored

in warehouses, cold rooms or refrigerators. And we
transport the same in boxes, vans, reefers and containers.

The whole set of study is to analyze the temperature distribution in a warehouse, cold room,
refrigerator, active boxes, passive boxes, van or reefer trucks. This to find out whether the
temperature inside such facility is always under the desired temperature levels.

1. Temperature Mapping Study / Temperature & Humidity Mapping

study
This article briefs about mapping study for Temperature & Humidity

1.1. Temperature Mapping Study / Temperature distribution analysis

Firstly we will explain about temperature mapping study and thereafter about
temperature & humidity distribution.

1.1.1. Why would you require Temperature Mapping Study

(aka Temperature Distribution study)?
If you are into manufacturing, transportation, storage or distribution of medicines and
vaccines, you would like to know more about temperature mapping study. In all these cases
you store your medicine inside an enclosed temperature controlled area. These include
warehouse, cold room, temperature controlled van, reefer truck, refrigerator, insulated boxes
etc.

In such cases you need to ensure that the temperature inside the enclosed area is within the
desired limits. eg. you want to keep the medicine between 2 to 8 °C and you are keeping
inside a cold room. How do you ensure that the entire cold room is between these temperature
limits? You might be keeping the medicine at one shelf inside the cold room. You will not have
any idea whether this particular place is within the limits. Generally, you will have a
temperature display unit in front of the cold room. This display unit takes the reading from a

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 sensor placed inside the room. This display picks up the temperature just from one sensor
placed at a certain location at any place probably near the return duct. Also the cooling unit
may have its switch ON and OFF cycles based on this
temperature. This might be indicating a temperature
between 2 and 8 °C. Most of us tend to believe that this
displayed temperature is the temperature across the
entire cold room.

However, visualize various shelves and corners of the cold

room. This is around the entire room and of course far
away from this particular sensor. How do you know that
your medicine is a particular shelf is within the
temperature limits?

How does a third party like an auditor can check whether the entire cold room is under correct
temperature?

How can you ensure that the display at the front door is exact in relation with the
corresponding sensor?

How do you know about the variations when a door is opened? The sensor might be far away
from the door and hence may not reflect any variation. However it really happens that the
area near the door suddenly goes above 8°C. You would like to know the ideal duration for
which you can keep a door opened. This will help you to write a proper Standard operating
Procedure (SOP).

We can evaluate all these factors only through a temperature mapping study.

1.1.2. How do we carry out temperature mapping study?

In principle, a temperature mapping study involves recording the temperature of the cold
room, warehouse or any such asset under various conditions. We have to collect the data
for days or weeks as per the nature of the asset. The vendor who carries out the mapping
study places numerous temperature data loggers inside the testing area to record the data
continuously. Depending on the nature of the property, they have to test for the following
conditions:

a. Testing under empty conditions to analyze the

distribution of temperature when there are no loads in
the area. This may not be possible at all times, since
you may not be able to remove the loads from a
warehouse or cold room. However, for a new property, it is ideal to carry out this test.
For vehicles, it is important to do an empty test.
b. Testing under 60% loaded condition to analyze the distribution when the area is loaded
up to 60% of full capacity. You can decide any other loaded condition such as 70%,
80% etc. depending on your normal usage. Eg. If your cold room always loaded to
almost 80%, you may do a test at this condition.
c. Testing under 100% loaded condition to analyze the distribution when the area is
loaded in full capacity.

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 d. Door opening test to understand the effects on temperature during and after a door
opening. You may carry out for different duration such as door opening for 1 minute,
3 minute, 5 minute, 10 minute etc.
e. Power failure test to analyze the effects in the event of a power failure. The main
purpose of this test is to find out how long you can keep the medicines inside the area
in case of a power failure.
f. Startup test to check the time required for stabilizing of the temperature inside the
area. This is especially important for vehicles.
g. Recovery test to check the time taken for temperature recovery after a door opening.

1.2. What is temperature and humidity mapping study?

The methodology is same as a temperature mapping study. However, in this case we are
analyzing humidity distribution as well. This is especially important if you are storing goods
which specify certain humidity level. Eg. Many pharmaceutical manufacturers specify that the
storage area should have a maximum humidity level of 65%. In such case, you need to study
humidity distribution. The acceptance criteria will be that humidity does not exceed 65%.

If you have already installed dehumidifiers to control humidity, the vendor has to note settings
of the same to compare against the actual results. Nowadays for many of the storage areas,
humidity also is important and hence we recommend Temperature & Humidity distribution for
such areas.

If you find that the humidity is above the required limits, you may have to install dehumidifiers.
We will have to carry out a repeat mapping study after installation of dehumidifiers.

1.2.1. Do you require a temperature mapping or temperature &

humidity mapping?
As mentioned earlier, this need to be decided by the manufacturer of the medicines or as per
your internal quality policy. For a warehouse, generally it
is preferred that humidity also be included in the study.
External ambient conditions directly affect a warehouse.
For a cold room the humidity can go to extreme high
levels of up to 100% because of its nature of operation.
Generally the door of the cold room opens to a warehouse
which is at a higher temperature. Since the cold room is
at a lower temperature, it will attract the moisture and
hence will always have a higher humidity. Hence
irrespective of the medicine being kept in the cold room,
it is ideal that the cold room be analyzed for humidity as well. However, you can decide this
based on the goods that you are storing in the area.

We generally recommend temperature and humidity mapping study for warehouses and cold
rooms. For vans, reefers, refrigerators and boxes, only temperature mapping study is sufficient
unless otherwise specified. For reefers, vans and refrigerators it is difficult to control the
humidity. You cannot install a dehumidifier as well. Hence, even if you carry out a humidity
mapping study you may not be able to implement any methods to reduce the humidity.

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Phone : (+971) 4 2 66 11 44 l Fax : (+971) 4 2 66 11 55 Our offices : UAE, Oman, Kuwait, UK, USA
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 1.2.2. What is the recommended humidity level for storage of
medicines?
This generally depends on the type of medicine and the packaging being kept in the storage
area either for cold room or warehouse. Hence this is generally recommended by the medicine
manufacturers. Generally most of the manufacturers are recommending that the humidity
should be maintained under a maximum limit of 65% under all conditions.

1.2.3. How to reduce the humidity for cold rooms and

warehouses for medicine storage?
You may have to use a dehumidifier to reduce humidity
levels. These are electrical devices which absorb humidity
from the air and convert it into water. We can drain the
water manually or automatically. In the automatic
method, there is a drainage pipe for removing the water
to an external outlet. In the manual method, a tray
collects the water and we have to empty the tray
periodically.

In order to decide the capacity of dehumidifiers, special calculations are required. We require
details such as present temperature, humidity, desired humidity, size of the room etc. You
may contact us for free assistance for this calculation.

Generally for ware houses, desiccant type and for cold rooms, rotary type dehumidifiers have
to be used.

1.3. Documentation required prior to commencement of a

mapping study
The customer has to provide the layout drawing of the asset including details and locations of
cooling units and dehumidifiers if any. The drawings should include the racks.

1.4. Protocol for mapping study

Based on the documents as per clause 1.3 above, we prepare a detailed procedure. This
document is known as the protocol for the mapping study. The entire study will be as per this
protocol.

1.5. Acceptance criteria for the mapping study?

The results of the distribution study will be either pass or fail. Also it can be fail or pass with
some deviations. We define the criteria for acceptance of the study in the protocol before
commencement of the tests. Typical criteria defined in the protocol are as under:

a. All readings of the individual data loggers should be within 2 to 8°C during the entire
tests, except for 30 minutes after a door opening.
b. Mean Kinetic value should be within desired limits (We do not encourage this criteria
unless insisted by the client. However we will indicate the value in our reports)

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 c. During door opening tests, the values should be within limits and should return to
normalcy within 30 minutes after closing the door.

1.6. How to decide the sampling interval of data collection

for the mapping study
Sampling interval is the frequency of data recording of
the data loggers. Generally, programming options are
available in the data loggers for interval such as
10seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute etc. If the sampling
interval of a temperature data logger is 5 minutes it
means that the temperature is recorded every 5 minutes.

Sampling interval of data collection should be kept ideally

as follows for a temperature mapping study:

a. 3 minutes for 2-8 °C assets such as cold rooms,

vehicles, boxes, refrigerators etc.
b. 5 minutes for 15-25°C vehicles.
c. 5 minutes for warehouses maintained at 15-25 °C

This is mainly based on the goods to be stored inside the asset. Eg. If a medicine which should
not go above 8°C for 2 minutes is stored inside a refrigerator, it means that you should keep
a sampling interval of at least 1 minute. For a medicine which is permitted to go above 8°C
for 10 minutes, a sampling interval of 3 minutes is sufficient.

This also depends on the range of the temperature. 2-8 °C is a very narrow range and can go
above this range even for minor fluctuations. Hence ideally a sampling interval should not be
more than 3 minutes.

For a warehouse, 15-25 °C is a wider range and the rise in

temperature will be slow. Hence, a sampling interval of 10
minutes also might be sufficient. However we generally use 5
minutes intervals.

1.7. How to use the results of temperature mapping study

From the summary of the reports of a temperature mapping study, the following details will
be useful for your practical applications

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 1. We will identify hot and cold points. You have to
place your continuous monitoring devices at these
Hot and cold points.
2. The report will indicate the duration within which
the temperature will exceed the permitted levels
upon door opening. eg. if such duration is 5
minutes, you should take care that the door
opening should be maximum of 5 minutes. You
can include same in your Standard operating
procedure (SOP).
3. The report will indicate the duration within which
the temperature will exceed the permitted levels in the event of power failure. So in
case of a power failure, you should not open the door and should be in closed condition
if you expect that power will be restored within such a duration. If you do not expect
power restoration within such a duration the medicines should be shifted to an
alternate facility such as a temperature controlled van or reefer.

1.8. Temperature mapping study / Temperature & Humidity

mapping study for various assets

Brief details of the study for various kind of assets are detailed hereunder

1.8.1. Temperature mapping study of Reefer trucks & vans

We recommend the following tests for all type of vehicles.

a. Distribution analysis under empty conditions (24 hours).

b. Distribution analysis under 60% loaded conditions (24 hours).
c. Distribution analysis under full load conditions (24 hours).
d. Power failure test.
e. Door opening test.
f. Start up test.

Small vans are for local distribution and generally maximum journey is for 8-10 hours. For
such vans, the duration of empty and loaded to tests will be 12 hours instead of 24 hours.
However reefer trucks are for longer journey and hence we recommend at least 24 hours of
each test. The idea is to test under the normal operating conditions.

The client can decide the percentage loading as per his usual loading pattern.

1.8.2. Temperature mapping study of a ware house

For a warehouse the following tests are carried out as part of a temperature mapping study.

a. Temperature and humidity distribution analysis is carried out under loaded conditions.
b. Door opening tests to analyze the effects.

For an existing warehouse it will be difficult to carry out other tests such as empty test, power
failure test etc. since it may be difficult to remove the existing goods form the warehouse. For

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 a warehouse the distribution analysis is carried typically for 7-14 days. The tests should also
include holidays so that the patterns can be analyzed.

Sampling interval of data collection should be kept ideally at 5-10 minutes.

1.8.3. Temperature mapping study of Cold room

For all type of cold rooms, primarily the following tests
are carried out:

a. Distribution analysis under empty conditions (24

hours).
b. Distribution analysis under 60% loaded conditions
(24 hours).
c. Distribution analysis under full load conditions (24
hours).
d. Power failure test.
e. Door opening test for different durations such as
1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes and 10 minutes.
f. Recovery tests.

The percentage loading can be decided by the client as per his usual loading pattern. Sampling
interval will be generally kept at 3 minutes.

1.8.4. Temperature mapping study of a refrigerator

For refrigerators, primarily the following tests are carried out:

a. Distribution analysis under empty conditions (24 hours).

b. Distribution analysis under 60% loaded conditions (24 hours).
c. Power failure test.
d. Door opening test (for different durations such as 60 seconds, 120 seconds, 180
seconds etc., since for a refrigerator the door opening will be more frequent compared
to other assets).

The percentage loading can be decided by the client as per his usual loading pattern. Sampling
interval will be generally kept at 1-2 minutes.

1.8.5. Temperature mapping study of a shipping box

For shipping box, the following tests are carried out:

a. Distribution analysis under empty conditions (24 hours).

b. Distribution analysis under 60% loaded conditions (24 hours).
c. Power failure test (for active cooling boxes).
d. Door opening test for different durations.
e. For active boxes, the tests will be conducted inside a van as well as inside a warehouse.

The percentage loading can be decided by the client as per his usual loading pattern. Sampling
interval will be generally kept at 3 minutes.

1.9. Reports generated in Temperature Mapping study

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 The reports of a mapping study will include the following details:

a. Temperature distribution – Pass /Fail.

b. Humidity distribution – Pass /Fail.
c. Hot and cold points of the asset. These will be the
hottest and coldest points of the area. Real time
continuous monitoring systems need to be placed
in these areas.
d. Analytical graphs for all the tests.
e. Any recommendations for improvement.
f. Time taken to reach the desired temperature after
start up.
g. Duration for which the temperature remains within the limits after a power failure.
h. Duration within which the temperature exceeds the limits during a door opening.

2. What is Temperature Qualification study? (or Temperature &

Humidity Qualification study)

Temperature qualification study is a very detailed sequence of tests and analysis including
verification of active components such as cooling units, sensors etc. After these series of test
and verification the asset is certified to be qualified for achieving and maintaining the desired
levels of temperature and humidity levels. The various tests covered under the qualification
process in general are as under:

a. Design qualification process (DQ) – to verify the equipment are designed to generate
the desired temperature and humidity conditions
b. Installation qualification process (IQ) – To verify whether the installation is carried out
as per the design and as per the installation procedures recommended by the
respective manufacturers of critical equipment.
c. Operation qualification process (OQ)– To verify that the operations are carried out as
per the recommended procedures of the manufacturers of the critical equipment
d. Performance Qualification (PQ) to verify the performance of the entire system. This
includes temperature and humidity mapping study.
e. Document verification – To verify whether all documents are maintained by the user
including SOP, calibration certificates etc.

2.1. Difference between Temperature mapping study and

Temperature qualification study

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 In a temperature mapping study, only distribution of
temperature & humidity are analyzed. This study makes
sure that the distribution is always within the permitted
range of temperature and humidity as applicable. However
the mapping study does not check various criteria such as
SOP, whether installation has been done correctly,
whether the machines are working as per the design,
whether written procedures are maintained, whether
these written procedures are sufficient etc. All such
parameters are covered in a temperature qualification
study.

A temperature qualification study incudes mapping study, but not vice versa.

2.2. How to decide whether you need Temperature Mapping

study or Temperature Qualification Study?
If you want to check only distribution of temperature & humidity, a mapping study is sufficient.
If you want to check whether the whole asset is designed, installed and operated correctly, it
is desirable to carry out a temperature qualification study.

A qualification study is considered to be more of international acceptance. An auditor from

another part of the world may not be familiar with various installation and operational
parameters of the asset. If an asset is qualified the asset is considered to be a fully satisfactory
system.

2.3. Do you require a Temperature qualification study or

Temperature and humidity qualification?
Please see our explanation for similar query under temperature mapping study.

If your major parameter is only temperature, they you may limit

to a temperature qualification study. If you also require
humidity, a temperature & humidity qualification study will be
required.

2.4. Advantages of a Temperature qualification study over a

mapping study
The temperature qualification study is considered more of international acceptance. So if your
clients and suppliers are from various countries, you may go for a qualification study. As an
example each country has their own type of design, installation and operation procedures for
a cold room. Hence your client from another country may not be familiar with such parameters
in your country. If a temperature qualification study is carried out on this cold room, the client
need not check any details at all since the cold room is fully qualified to ensure full compliance
to keep a temperature between 2-8°C.

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 2.5. Documentation required prior to commencement of a
qualification process
Prior to commencement of a temperature qualification study, we require the following
document/details from the customer.
a. The customer has to provide the layout drawing of the asset.
b. All details of cooling units such as sl. nos., details of sensors, operation manuals, design
drawings etc. have to be provided.
c. Similar details of dehumidifiers also have to be provided.
d. All details of temperature monitoring systems (if any) to be provided.
Based on these documents we will prepare a protocol for review and approval by the customer.
We will carry out the tests based on this protocol.

2.6. Reports of a Temperature qualification study

The reports of a temperature qualification study will

contain the following details in general. Please note
these may vary depending on the nature of the asset.
a. Design qualification process – Pass or Fail
b. Installation qualification process – Pass or Fail
c. Operation qualification process – Pass or Fail
d. Performance qualification process – Pass or
Fail.
e. Document verification – Pass or Fail
f. Power failure test results
g. Recovery test results
h. Start up test results
i. Hot and cold points
j. Deviation if any
k. Recommendations
l. Corrective actions

If all the above tests are passed satisfactorily during the temperature qualification study, we
issue a certificate indicating that the asset is fully qualified. The details of the asset will be
indicated in the certificate.

3. How to carry out a Qualification study

This section briefly describes method of qualification study for certain assets. You may once
again note that a mapping study is part of a qualification study. But the qualifications
process involves certain other procedures as explained in previous sections.

3.1. How to carry out qualification of a box

Box is one such item which will require a qualification because box goes through daily tough
handling and hence a mapping study alone will not be sufficient to test its efficiency. Also
for boxes we recommend a shorter validity of one year for a qualification. As the box goes
through tougher conditions, it is preferred to have the qualification done once every year.

Active boxes

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 For active boxes, qualification includes the following:

 Define a Thermal profile based on general operating conditions.

 Test the box against this thermal profile.
 Check installation and operation of the cooling units.
 Verify the calibration of the sensors and the cooling units.

Passive box

For passive boxes, there are not many tests compared to active boxes.

For passive boxes, generally qualification need to be done only on a sample piece and not
on every box. Especially there are many types of single use passive boxes and hence one
from each design need to be qualified to prove the efficiency of the box.

In order to carry out the study more efficiently, it is desirable to know the operating
environment conditions that the box undergoes for each customer.

3.2. How to carry out qualification of a Cold Room

For a cold room, the following verifications need to be done.

 Verify the calibration records.

 Check the installation of the cooling units, sensors, location of sensors.
 Check entire operation of the cooling units, control panel and associated
circuitries.
 Check the maintenance procedures of the cooling units.

3.3. How to carry out qualification of a Van or reefer

For a van or reefer, the following verifications need to be done.

 Verify the calibration records.

 Check the installation of the cooling units, sensors, location of sensors.
 Check entire operation of the cooling units, control panel and associated
circuitries.
 Check the maintenance procedures of the cooling units.

4. Reasons for failure of a Mapping study

Common reasons for failure of a temperature mapping study or a humidity mapping study
are listed here:

4.1. Reasons for failure of mapping study of a van

We are mentioning of small and medium sized vans. There are many reasons for failure of
these vehicles during a temperature mapping study and temperature qualification. The main
ones are listed here:

a. The temperature shown in the display unit of the cooling unit may not be matching
with actual inside temperature. Probably the sensor reading is not correct. This can

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 happen for many reasons. Over a period of time the accuracy of the sensor may be
lost. Eg. the display unit might be showing 5°C and the driver will be confident that
the cold cabin is at 5°C. However it is possible that the inside temperature is at 7°C.
In order to avoid such a situation place a data logger next to the sensor of the cooling
unit and record for few hours. Set the cooling unit at desired temperature. After couple
of hours download the data and analyze. The graph will be in continuous up and down
cycles. Check the highest and lowest temperature of these cycles. If these values are
close to the set point, it means that the sensor and display unit are working correctly.
Eg. if the set point is 5°C, the highest and lowest readings should be 7°C & 4°C. (This
varies based on the type of cooling unit, programmed setting of upper and lower cut
off limits etc. However this will give an indication about correlation of the displayed
temperature and actual sensor temperature.
b. Temperature goes to extreme low and high points at all cycles. Eg. The set point is
5°C. However the temperature goes regularly to 9°C and 3°C regularly. This happened
because the cooling unit is programmed accordingly. ie. It has a high cut off at 4°C
above the set point and low cut off of 2°C below the set point. This can be programmed
for 2°C for both high and low cut off points. Thereafter the higher & lower cut off will
be 7 & 3°C respectively. (This feature is based on the manufacturer and models of the
cooling unit)
c. Temperature on one end of the vehicle goes beyond
limits. This happens mainly in Reefer trucks since the
cooling unit and fan are one end and the reefer is very
long. It is possible that the other end of the cold cabin is not properly receiving the
air. If the fan unit is not producing strong air flow this may happen. Otherwise, air flow
ducts will have to be provided from the cooling unit to the other end of the reefer.
Thus the air will be divided through multiple ducts and distributed at front and rear
end of the vehicle.
d. Temperature goes high at certain points during loaded test. This may happen mainly
due to limited air flow. During a loaded test (and during actual loaded conditions),
goods should not be placed directly in front of the air flow. Also sufficient space should
be left on all sides and on the top for efficient air flow.

4.2. Reasons for failure of mapping study of a cold room

General reasons for failure of a cold room are as under:
The display unit fixed at the outside of the cold room may not be displaying the correct
temperature of the cold room.
The loading and distribution of the shelves may not be uniform thus hindering proper
airflow.
Humidity may be higher than the permitted levels.
The positioning of the cooling units may not be in perfect location thus affecting
uniform distribution.
Defrost cycle is not programmed properly. Eg. If you have two cooing units, the defrost
cycle of the two units should not coincide.
Air curtains may be required at the doors.

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 4.3. Reasons for failure of mapping study of a Ware house

For warehouses the most common reasons for failure are:

a. The number of cooling units or the capacity of the cooling units may not be
sufficient.

b. The location of the ducts may not be proper.

c. Humidity may be higher than desired levels.

d. Air curtains may be required to control inflow of ambient air.

4.4. What is the validity period of a temperature mapping

study and temperature qualification study?

There are no general rules applicable for the same. However for a new facility we suggest
that the study report can be considered valid for a period of 3 years.

If any modifications are carried out related to shape and layout of the asset, modification or
replacement of cooling units, rearrangement of racks etc., the original report cannot be
considered valid. The reasoning is that any of these changes will affect the distribution of
temperature and humidity.

For new vans, we suggest to carry out the mapping study once every 2 years. However, for
old vehicles it is better to carry out the study once in a year. This is because performance of
vehicles are very much affected by the age of the vehicle.

5. Reasons for failure of a Qualification study

Even if a mapping study is successful, the qualification may fail for other reasons.
Few of the major reasons are listed here. Such reasons are pointed out as deviations
in the report and most of the minor deviations can be closed after rectifications.
However sometimes it may happen that the deviation might be major and may
require major rectifications and retesting for successful qualification.

5.1. Reasons for failure of qualification study of a van

Major reasons for failure of a van are:

 Failure to maintain proper calibration reports.

 Control panel of the cooling unit of the van is not working properly.
 The equipment are not installed as per manufacturer’s recommendation.
 The equipment are not operated as per manufacturer’s recommendation.
 There are no clear written instructions to the operators for proper
operation of the vehicle.

Vacker LLC l PO Box 92438 l Dubai l UAE Part of VackerGlobal Group

Phone : (+971) 4 2 66 11 44 l Fax : (+971) 4 2 66 11 55 Our offices : UAE, Oman, Kuwait, UK, USA
email:[email protected] www.vackerglobal.com
 5.2. Reasons for failure of qualification of a cold room
Major reasons for failure of a cold room are:

 Failure to maintain proper calibration reports.

 Control panel of the cooling unit including condenser, evaporator of the
cold room is not working properly.
 The equipment are not installed as per manufacturer’s recommendation.
 The equipment are not operated as per manufacturer’s recommendation.
 There are no clear written instructions to the operators for proper
operation of the cold room.

5.3. Reasons for failure of qualification of a passive box

Major reasons for failure of a passive box are:

 Proper written procedures are not available for instructions of operation.

 Proper identification including serial numbers are not available.

5.4. Reasons for failure of qualification of an active box

Major reasons for failure of a passive box are:

 Failure to maintain proper calibration reports.

 Control panel of the cooling unit including condenser, evaporator of the
cold room is not working properly.
 The equipment are not operated as per manufacturer’s recommendation.
 There are no clear written instructions to the operators for proper
operation of the box.

6. How to improve the results of the test and eliminate chances of

failure?
It is ideal that before carrying out the actual study, you may carry out a trial study with few
number of data loggers to analyze the data. This trial study will help you to evaluate major
problems if any. For all contracts being undertaken by us, we carry out a trial study before
commencement of the actual test. This will save valuable time and money for the customer.

6.1. Advantages of a trial study

Major advantage of conducting a trial study are:
a. Saving time and money – After conducting a full test you may end up with some
deviations. In such case you will have to carry out a retest after undertaking the
corrective actions. By this time you may be in the midst of a climate change and hence
will have to wait for the next season. If a trial study is planned properly, this can be
avoided.
b. Correct settings for cooling units – sometimes just by changing the settings of the
cooling units you may have better results. You may not have noticed this so far

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Phone : (+971) 4 2 66 11 44 l Fax : (+971) 4 2 66 11 55 Our offices : UAE, Oman, Kuwait, UK, USA
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 because your current recording devices were not placed at the correct hot and cold
points.
c. Requirement of dehumidifier – In many cases humidity distribution was not properly
analyzed and hence may require installation of dehumidifiers. This is a process
involving time and money and hence if understood at the proper stage, suitable actions
can be undertaken.

6.2. How to carry out a trial study?

Before commencing the actual tests, we will sent you some data loggers for placing at certain
locations as per the drawings. The data need to be collected for a certain duration and the
data loggers have to be returned. We will analyze the data and will provide suitable
recommendations. Generally we include one trial study in our scope to assist customers (To
be finalized at the time of finalizing the order)

7. What is Validation? What is difference from Qualification?

Validation is often confused with Qualification and often used interchangeably. It
may not cause a problem while the terms validation is qualification is used
interchangeable. We have seen especially the following terms being used:

a. Validation of boxes – This is generally qualification of the boxes only unless

defined separately. If the data logger used in the boxes need to be validated,
that is a separate procedure and is not covered under qualification of the box.
Please see d, e & f under this section for more details.
b. Validation of cold rooms – This also refer to qualification only. If the data
logger or real time monitoring system used in the cold room need to be
validated, that is a separate procedure and is not covered under qualification
of the cold room. Please see d, e & f under this section for more details.
c. Validation of vans, reefers etc. - This also refer to qualification only. If the
data logger or real time monitoring system used in the vehicle need to be
validated, that is a separate procedure and is not covered under qualification
of the van or reefer. Please see d, e & f under this section for more details.
d. Validation of real time temperature monitoring system – This is not part of
qualification and is done separately. In simple terms real time monitoring
system consists of electronic components, software, cloud server, local server
etc. and it need to be verified that all such components are working correctly
ensuring correct recording and readings across all these channels. Also this
has to meet CFR Part 11 standards. This whole process is known as validation
of the system. Once the system is validated, you can be sure that the
readings produced at different points of the hardware and software are all
the same.
e. Validation of a data logger – This also is in line with Sl. d above, but
applicable for the data logger and its software
f. Validation of a software used to monitor the system.- This also is in line with
d & e above. This is generally applicable for any software, but in our context
we are referring to any software used for monitoring of temperature or
humidity. Eg. If a customer is using disposable data loggers (or any other

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 data loggers) regularly, the report is generated using its software. The
software is installed in a computer. Now how do we know as a user that the
software is correctly producing all reports from the data logger? If there is an
error in the software, the readings and reports will not be correct. If the
software is validated, we can be sure that the reports are 100% correct. In
this is a onetime procedure for the software, until a major revision is carried
out.

8. Documents related to Mapping study & Qualification

a. Case study of a temperature qualification study on a cold room : http://bit.ly/case-
study-temperature-mapping
b. Protocol / SOP for Temperature qualification study of cold room :
http://bit.ly/temperature-mapping-protocol-sop

NB: For ease of understanding, we generally mentioned about

temperature throughout the article. However all mentions
about Temperature mapping study are equally applicable for
Temperature & Humidity mapping as well. Similarly all
mentions of a Temperature qualification study are equally applicable for Temperature &
Humidity qualification study.
Also temperature mapping study is known as Temperature distribution analysis.

If you require free assistance on your Cold Chain Management requirements, please contact
us

Copyright: This document is copy righted to Vacker LLC, Dubai and no part of this
document may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without permission from us.

Vacker LLC l PO Box 92438 l Dubai l UAE Part of VackerGlobal Group

Phone : (+971) 4 2 66 11 44 l Fax : (+971) 4 2 66 11 55 Our offices : UAE, Oman, Kuwait, UK, USA
email:[email protected] www.vackerglobal.com