Robert Carter Aug 25, 2017:

@Charles Not really, but your solidarity is appreciated!! :-)

Charles Davis Aug 25, 2017:

@Robert To be honest I find "almacén de indicadores" a bit odd too; it seems strange that they would have a special store or warehouse for them. They're not particularly bulky, I would have thought. Still there we are.

If it's any consolation I had to withdraw an answer with egg on my face only yesterday :)

Robert Carter Aug 25, 2017:

@Charles Yes, you are quite right. I jumped in too quickly here, having skipped the part that reads "del almacén de indicadores químicos y biológicos". I don't think it can be read any other way than you propose.
I previously looked up "almacén de indicadores" and only found 7 other hits, so I erroneously assumed it was probably a bit of dodgy tech writing (which I often find to be terribly sloppy, particularly when certain terms are borrowed or translated from English).
As you were [blush].

Charles Davis Aug 25, 2017:

By the way... There are chemical indicators that measure temperature and relative humidity, in the sense that they change colour when a certain threshold is reached. But monitoring of Temp and RH over time, giving you readings from which you can make a graph, is done with thermometers and hygrometers, not indicators. And to my knowledge biological indicators are not used for measuring these parameters at all. So I don't believe the indicators referred to can be those from which the graph is compiled.

On the other hand, chemical and especially biological indicators are very sensitive to these ambient conditions. They are used in production and must be kept somewhere until they are required. So the temperature and RH in the place where they are kept must be carefully monitored.

Charles Davis Aug 25, 2017:

Furthermore... Thermometers and RH sensors are not "indicadores", which, as the text goes on to explain, means chemical and biological indicators. The latter are part of the standard kit of many kinds of production facilities.

I don't understand why you say "kept elsewhere". The almacén whose temperature and RH are being monitored is the one where the indicadores are kept, because it is the almacén de indicadores.

If I've missed your point, please help me out :)

Charles Davis Aug 25, 2017:

@Robert It refers to the "Gráfico para temperatura y humedad relativa en almacén de indicadores", and elaborates by saying that the Operario and the Técnico must record "la temperatura y el % de humedad relativa, del almacén de indicadores químicos y biológicos".

I don't understand how it's possible to parse it as I think you're suggesting (you haven't made your syntactic proposal explicit), unless you think it means "temperatura y humedad de indicadores en almacén". But (1) the order of the syntactic elements would be highly unnatural if that were the sense, (2) it doesn't make sense, because (in your hypothesis) the temp. and RH are being measured with, not of, indicators, so it would say "con indicadores", not "de indicadores", and (3) it would in any case be redundant and would not be said. "Gráfico de indicadores" is possible, but that reading fails on grounds (1) and (3) and is not applicable to the other instance (first half of second paragraph).

I think there is no feasible reading in which "almacén de indicadores" means anything other than "al almacén en el que se guardan los indicadores".

Robert Carter Aug 25, 2017:

IMO, you're parsing this wrong. See my entry below.

By the way, Charles, I'm not sure your idea can be right here: the text is referring to temperature and relative humidity monitoring, so the indicators would surely be the thermometers and humidity sensors doing the monitoring within the room, rather than chemical-based indicators kept elsewhere, wouldn't they?

Alan Lambson (asker) Aug 25, 2017:

Hmmm... If charles is right, i would call it "indicator storeroom" or the like, since "warehouse" seems too grandiose. I had assumed it was a location in a computer system for storing readings but am now leaning towards physical storage. Will await further comments before deciding.

Charles Davis Aug 25, 2017:

The most familiar chemical indicator is litmus paper, which changes colour according to pH (acidity or alkalinity), but there are many others.

Charles Davis Aug 25, 2017:

So this almacén is a store or warehouse where the indicators are kept. If you like the word "bank", fine, though it's usually applied to a collection of samples.

Charles Davis Aug 25, 2017:

@Alan Just for information, the indicators they're referring to here are not readings. They are physical materials that detect various kinds of chemical or biological changes and are used to monitor processes or the environment. Chemical indicators usually come in the form of tape. They can detect temperature or pH, among other things. Biological indicators are generally live spores contained in vials. So indicators have to be stored somewhere. Your text is referring to monitoring environmental conditions in the place where the chemical and biological indicators are stored.

David Hollywood Aug 25, 2017:

but still serious

David Hollywood Aug 25, 2017:

grade as you feel and I'm in this as an ex-pro who comes in on things that tickle my fancy

David Hollywood Aug 25, 2017:

let's not bank on it though lol

David Hollywood Aug 25, 2017:

ok and I think "bank" is ok in this context

Alan Lambson (asker) Aug 25, 2017:

Agree Thanks David. I was using "indicator store", but "bank" really works. I'll wait to see if there if further input before grading the question, but I think you hit the nail on the head.