Give every proposed sensor location a reason.
Start the placement discussion with the space and the question, not a sensor count. This guide helps you prepare information for a placement plan that your designated reviewers can assess. It does not prescribe universal spacing, a validated layout or approved study criteria. Those decisions belong in the agreed protocol.
Request a mapping quoteGive the team a usable site description
- Layout and storage positions
- Provide a dated layout with dimensions, rack positions and usable storage heights. Mark planned storage separately from current use, and identify areas outside the proposed study. Explain any mismatch between the drawing and what the deployment team will find.
- Equipment and operating context
- Mark doors, heating and cooling equipment, air outlets and existing monitoring positions. Supply available operating schedules and known concerns without labelling an unmeasured location as a confirmed hot or cold spot. Let the study establish the observed findings.
- Access and installation constraints
- Identify locations that need an escort, safe access equipment or a restricted work window. Discuss mounting constraints and stock movements in advance. Ask how an inaccessible proposed position will be escalated instead of accepting an undocumented substitute on site.
Review the proposed placement rationale
- Coverage and exclusions
- Ask the team to explain how the proposed locations address the approved study objectives and represented storage space. Review exclusions explicitly. Do not treat the number of sensors alone as evidence that the chosen layout answers your operational question.
- Location identity
- Agree on location labels that site staff and reviewers can interpret consistently. Confirm how each label will connect to a position, height, sensor identifier and resulting data file. Ask what photographs or placement notes belong in the study record.
- Reference applicability
- Confirm the methodology for the actual installation before approving placement. The WHO supplement cited here covers storage areas and excludes small-scale refrigerators and freezers. For standalone equipment, provide the model and intended use and request an appropriate equipment-specific scope.
Preserve what was actually deployed
- Placement verification
- Decide who checks the installed positions against the approved plan and how that check is recorded. Agree how sensor identification and relevant calibration records will be linked to the deployment. Keep the proposed plan distinguishable from the final placement record.
- Movement and missing records
- Identify who records a sensor relocation, removal, obstruction or interrupted record, including when it happened. Assign the person who assesses its effect on the study. Do not silently rename locations or combine records to make the dataset appear complete.
- Monitoring recommendations
- If future monitoring positions are part of the requested report, include that deliverable in the scope. Separate recommendations from authorized installation changes. Your quality team reviews the study limitations and decides what additional work is needed before changing routine monitoring.
Methodology and further reading
WHO links placement planning to site layout, storage positions and study objectives.
- WHO: Temperature mapping of storage areas, Supplement 8 (2015)
- ATEK guide to USP <1079.4>
- ATEK guide to ISPE temperature mapping
These resources inform scoping; they do not determine which requirements apply to your facility. Your quality team confirms the applicable requirements and approves the protocol.
Continue planning your study
Start with the information you have.
Tell us what needs mapping, where the site is and when you need the work. Mark unknown details as unknown. ATEK confirms service availability, scope and scheduling during review.