Enhancing Hazardous Chemical Safety with RFID Technology

Making chemicals safer: Smart labels to help

In the past, people managed chemicals by manually registering and labeling them, but this was prone to errors: labels fell off, records were wrong, and chemicals could not be found… So now people are starting to use a smarter way to manage them – RFID tags.

What are RFID tags?

RFID means “radio frequency identification” in Chinese. Simply put, it is a “small patch” that emits a signal and can be attached to a chemical bottle like a small card. As long as a special machine (called a “reader”) approaches, it will automatically tell us: “Who am I, where am I, and how long have I used it.”

These tags are actually very small, about 10 cm long and 3 cm wide (like a piece of chewing gum). There is a super mini chip inside, such as the Alien H9 or Ucode8/9 chip. They use ultra-high frequency (UHF) signals with a frequency between 860 and 960MHz, which complies with the international standard ISO 18000-6C.

Although it is small, it is also waterproof, rainproof, and not afraid of dirt. The material can be coated paper, PVC or PET, and it is specially designed for laboratories and factories.

How does RFID help?

No manual, automatic registration
With RFID, the entry and exit of chemicals and their movement do not need to be manually written or typed. It can be done automatically, which is trouble-free and not prone to errors.

Know where the chemicals are at any time
What should I do if the chemicals are accidentally placed in the wrong place? With the RFID system, I can immediately know where it is, who has moved it, and when it was moved.

The system has the final say on who can open the cabinet
The dangerous chemical cabinets used in the laboratory can be equipped with RFID readers, and only authorized people can open the cabinet door. The system automatically records who has entered and exited to ensure safety.

If there is a problem with the environment, it will automatically alarm
Some cabinets can also be equipped with temperature and humidity sensors. If the area around the chemicals becomes too hot, too humid, or even toxic gas leaks, the system will automatically sound an alarm.

Expiration reminders no longer rely on memory
The RFID system can automatically track the expiration date of each bottle of chemicals, and remind the laboratory to deal with it in time if it is about to expire to avoid misuse.

Procurement and replenishment are more scientific
The system can also count which chemicals are running out and automatically remind replenishment; it can also prevent waste caused by repeated purchases.