For those who don’t know about RFID tags, I encourage y’all to look into using them. I have not actually used them myself, but I have researched the topic for keeping a tool inventory at our local Habitat for Humanity chapter which has tools spread across multiple work sites.
In its most common form, a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag is basically like those antitheft tags used in retail stores or an EZPass. With a handheld scanner, you pick up tags within your immediate vicinity - so think like an AirTag but without the need for a battery on the tag. The beauty of this is that you can go into a lab, a job trailer, whatever, and pick up ALL tags in the immediate vicinity without having to physically locate and scan them like you do with an optical reader.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio-frequency_identification There are limits to this, so I’d be curious to know what people’s Real World™ experience has been in lab settings.
The tags have what are basically a printed antenna so they are not inexpensive, but they aren’t expensive, either. I think the laboratory use case is quite compelling, especially as chemicals are likely to migrate from lab to lab without always being tracked. An extra 50 cents or even $1 per chemical container is nothing in its overall lifecycle cost and probably pays for itself in reduced record keeping, avoided duplicate purchases, dealing with past-prime chemicals that have become dangerous etc.
Reader prices continue to drop, so a network of tag readers in each lab is becoming more and more attractive. Imagine each chemical automatically updating its location in real time. Think about the importance of knowing exactly what is in a lab that is on fire. And the time savings for researchers.
Best wishes,
Rob Toreki
Safety Emporium - Laboratory and Safety Supplies
Hello Shannon,
The University of Nevada Reno is a mid-sized state university, around 20,000 students on average. We do chemical inventory every business day at a central receiving location. The chemicals get barcoded with an radio frequency ID barcode tag (RFID) and delivered direct to the purchase. The exceptions are compressed gases and cryogens, we don’t do those.
We also do an in-lab survey of all lab spaces to check/reconcile inventory in place every day, making our way through most buildings annually, a once per year spot check.
We have been doing inventory since 2004 (annual spot check only) and chemical delivery since 2009. We started to use RFID tags in 2018.
Best Regards
Luis P. Barthel-Rosa, Ph.D.
Interim Director, EH&S
(775) 327-2270
