What Does
Radio Frequency Identification Tag Mean?
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is a small electronic device that uses radio frequencies to detect and identify objects, animals, or people. It is a tracking system similar to a smart label that can store a wide range of information in a thin, flat tag.
RFID tags are commonly used in healthcare, hospitality, retail, and manufacturing. Some of their uses include:
- Preventing shoplifting by sounding an alarm when a tagged item leaves the store
- Detecting moisture levels to prevent equipment from being damaged
- Keeping tabs on the location of employees within a facility
- Identifying pets or livestock via a microchip inserted under the skin
- Contactless credit or debit card payments by holding the card’s chip near the reader
Safeopedia Explains Radio Frequency Identification Tag
The modern uses of RFID can be tracked back to Charles Walton, a former IBM researcher and the first RFID patent holder. While not the inventor of RFID itself, Walton’s major innovation was the creation of a portable radio frequency reader. This led to the development of the electronic key card, which has since been the basis for a vast array of current RFID applications.
Further advances in technology have made RFID tags highly affordable and easy to implement in personal life and industrial activities. The most common application of RFIDs is tracking and managing goods and people. Applications include:
- Asset tracking
- Access control
- Inventory management
- Logistics and supply chain management
- Personnel tracking
RFID Tagging System
The tagging system consists of a tag (transponder), an antenna and receiver (interrogator), and an application for collecting, processing, and transmitting data.
In its simplest form, the RFID tag consists of two parts:
- An antenna for receiving and transmitting signals
- An integrated circuit (IC) that has the tag’s ID and relevant information
Most RFID tags are passive RFIDs, meaning that they don’t have an internal power source or a battery.
How RFID Tags Work
The tags transmit data about an item or person via radio frequencies. Upon receiving the transmission, energy runs through the internal antenna to the tag’s chip, which transmits a signal back to the antenna or reader. The RFID reader then processes data from the tag or transfers it to another device or digital network. Depending on the tag, this could result in a transfer of information (e.g. reading the information in a stray dog’s microchip) or it could trigger an action (e.g. unlocking a gate).
Use of RFID Tags in the Workplace
RFID tags can be used in a variety of workplace applications, including:
- Lone worker tracking: RFID tags can help first responders locate a lone worker during an emergency situation
- Zone management: RFID tags can alert supervisors when a worker enters an unsafe area of the worksite
- Collision warning systems: Active RFID tags can be set up to give a warning when a vehicle comes near another vehicle or a person
- Safety equipment inspection: RFID tags built into safety equipment can be used to keep track of when it has undergone an inspection
- Emergency evacuations: RFID tags on ID cards can be scanned during an evacuation to quickly determine who has made it to safety and who is not yet accounted for