Fluid-filled biosafe liquid (bottle) thermometers
consist of two parts. The first part is a glass sensing
bulb connected to a glass tube with a numbered
scale printed along the tube. Inside the tube is a
liquid (usually mercury or colored alcohol) that rises
and falls as the temperature changes in the
immediate area of the sensing bulb. The second part
is a bottle containing a biosafe liquid, such as glycol.
The glass sensing bulb is immersed in the liquid. The
liquid provides a buffer around the sensing bulb so
that the reading does not fluctuate when the
refrigerator or freezer door is opened or closed.
A fluid-filled biosafe
liquid thermometer.
How to Read It
1.
Examine the scale that is marked on the side. Determine if it is in
Fahrenheit or Celsius or both.
2.
When reading the temperature, the thermometer should be vertical and your eyes should be level with the top of the liquid in the glass tube. It is preferred that the thermometer is read while still inside the vaccine storage unit. However, if this is not possible, the thermometer may be removed from the unit, read at eye level, and quickly replaced.
Reading a fluid-filled biosafe liquid
thermometer.
3.
The position of the top of the liquid along the scale indicates the temperature. Read the thermometer to the appropriate number of significant digits. Shown below are temperatures indicated on one-degree
and half-degree Fahrenheit scales.
One-degree scale
(sample readings)
Half-degree scale
(sample readings)
4.
Record the current temperature on the temperature log. Note any
out-of-range temperatures and the action taken on the back of
the log.
Front: Temperature Log for Vaccines.
Note:Immediate
action must be taken to correct improper vaccine storage conditions.
Immediate
action must be taken to correct improper vaccine storage conditions.