Radio frequency identification (RFID) is playing an increasing role in health and safety systems for lifting equipment.
Small tags carrying a unique identity that can be read by a handheld computer provide a way of identifying, hooks, slings, hoists and other lifting gear.
Data collected from the tags can produce automated reports of; who checked which item, and when. The same system can produce schedules for; what should be checked and where it should be located.
This approach reduces pen and paper recording, saves time and minimises error.
Tags are robust, weather proof and can be attached to almost any material. They can be part of ATEX compliant systems, where explosive atmospheres are present. They can also be read almost instantaneously making it possible to list all the items present in a locker or on a vehicle in seconds.
How much information can be stored on a tag?
Tags have a limited storage capacity and typically hold an identification number only, which allows them to be linked to a record in a database.
What is RFID?
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology that allows information to be read wirelessly over (relatively) short distances.
RFID systems usually involve a small device with a microchip and antenna (a “tag”) that is linked to the item to be identified, and a second device which is able to interrogate the microchip for the information it contains. Different RFID technologies have different capacities on the chip, differences in the security of the information held on the chip, differences in the distance that the reader can be from the tag, and different protocols for the exchange of data.
What sorts of tags & readers are available?
Readers can be fixed units, portable independent units or add-ons that plug into a laptop, hand held computer, smart phone or PDA. Costs range from a few tens of pounds to thousands depending on performance, technology and type. Tags can be as small as a grain of rice, part of a printable label or embedded in a robust protective housing. Costs range from a few pence each to several pounds, depending on technology and format.
Why chose RFID over bar-codes?
Both technologies give IT systems information know about the items around them.
RFID has the following advantages over barcode which may mean that it is the best technology for a particular application:
- Information on tags can only be read electronically, whereas bar-coded information is directly readable.
- Information can be read without a line of sight between the reader and tag.
- Information can be read at distances up to 10 metres.
- Information from a tag can be read at rates up to 1000 tags per second (barcode reading is 1 second plus).
- The cloning of RFID chips is significantly more difficult than a barcode label.
- RFID tags are more difficult to vandalise/ damage (especially as they can be discretely located)
