The safety of goods stored and distributed at a controlled temperature requires the logistics operator to have appropriate competencies, tools, and procedures. How should warehouses and means of transport be prepared to ensure efficient and trouble-free handling of such products?
Olga Miedziak, Director of Quality Assurance and Process Compliance at DSV Solutions: Guaranteeing proper temperature conditions is one of the most essential elements of product safety, both in the storage and transport process. Its implementation is possible thanks to a combination of a number of elements, starting from appropriate equipment, through relevant procedures, to qualified personnel. Warehouses prepared for storing products requiring controlled conditions are equipped with air conditioning and heating devices, allowing for the maintenance of a constant temperature. Additionally, they have IT systems and control and measurement devices that monitor temperature and humidity continuously and allow for a quick reaction in case any deviations are observed. A very important element is alarm systems, both email and SMS notifications to persons responsible for maintaining appropriate conditions, as well as sound and light signals allowing employees to react quickly. An additional element is pre-developed contingency plans, ready-made scenarios for action in the event of a critical situation, which allow for an immediate, and more importantly, effective response. Warehouses maintaining a controlled temperature are additionally temperature-mapped in winter and summer periods in order to properly position thermohygrometers. This allows for the identification of critical points in the storage area, i.e., the coldest and warmest places in the warehouse. An important element is also the equipment with a power generator, which in the event of power outages reduces the risk of environmental conditions deteriorating.
In the case of distribution, a key element is a properly selected means of transport, equipped with appropriate installations maintaining the assumed environmental conditions and constant monitoring performed by the driver, ensuring the possibility of a quick reaction in the event of deviations. Means of transport, especially for the transport of medicinal products requiring a controlled temperature, are also mapped in order to understand the temperature distribution in the trailer and the proper placement of control and measurement devices. Additional protection is also provided by so-called data loggers placed directly on the products, the reading of which also confirms the correct transport conditions. The selection of the means of transport itself and route planning, which limits transport time and the risk of deviations, are also very important. The transport time and the need to ensure appropriate temperature conditions, especially in extreme external conditions, also pose a challenge. Vehicles used in the transport process requiring controlled conditions must each time be suitable for such use and provide effective protection against conditions that could affect the quality or safety of the products. For the means of transport, the recorder’s temperature sensors should be placed in a location allowing for an objective reading of the temperature from the loading surface, allowing for temperature recording at specific time intervals, and temperature mapping should be carried out under representative conditions, taking into account seasonal fluctuations. We must also not forget the role of the driver, who should be continuously trained, especially in procedures for handling emergency situations.
In terms of WMS/TMS IT systems, proper preparation of documentation is necessary to ensure safety. It must include, among other things, clearly marked conditions under which the product is to be transported and stored. The WMS system must have the ability to manage product statuses. In the event of a registered deviation or emergency situation, we are thus able to block the product, preventing its release until the investigation is completed. A very important element is also IT systems monitoring storage and transport conditions, which are crucial for ensuring product safety. Temperature and humidity monitoring takes place continuously, and the proper setting of intervention parameters and the way they are communicated via, for example, email, SMS, sound, and visual signals, allows for immediate action to be taken when the temperature is exceeded.
DSV specializes in the storage and transport of products requiring a temperature of 15-25 degrees Celsius and a cold chain of 2-8 degrees Celsius, as well as in the transport of deep-frozen products. Customers benefit from a wide range of contract logistics services, particularly in the pharmaceutical, food, and FMCG industries. In addition to serving the domestic market, DSV also serves European markets, the Baltic states, Ukraine, Russia, and countries of the former Soviet Union, including: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.