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| Other RFID Issues |
- Are there any health risks associated with RFID and radio waves?
- Some have questioned whether electromagnetic fields (EMF) generated by power lines, mobile phones, WLANs, RFID readers and other wireless devices may be harmful to human health. The World Health Organization's research, as well as many other scientific studies, have shown that EMF exposure below the limits recommended in internationally adopted guidelines has not revealed any known negative health effects. To ensure a uniform benchmark for compliance, EPCglobal recommends adhering to the human exposure limits for EMF as developed by the International Consortium on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and recommended by the WHO.
- Will RFID lead to massive layoffs of workers?
- RFID technology is a laborsaving technology, so it's likely that some tasks will be automated through the use of RFID. Fewer workers will be needed to scan bar codes. But the transition from bar codes to RFID could take a decade or more, so it is unlikely that RFID will lead to wide-scale displacement of workers. The technology will likely create new jobs, just as Internet technologies creating new jobs, from Web developers to warehouse workers managing inventory for online stores such as Amazon.com. The jobs that will be affected by RFID are those that involve scanning bar codes. Most of those jobs also have other components, such as moving products or restocking shelves. Those jobs will not go away because of RFID.
- How can RFID improve worker safety?
- RFID has the potential to improve worker safety by ensuring that only qualified people operate equipment or enter hazardous areas of a facility. Machinery can be set up so it will not operate if someone without training identifies themselves to a reader tied into to the equipment's ignition. An RFID access control system can set up to require workers to wave a badge to gain entry to areas of a facility. Software on the back end can then be used to prevent workers without authorization from entering certain areas, including those that could be dangerous. BP has also experimented with using employee badges with embedded RFID transponders to locate workers within a facility in the event of an emergency. All of these systems can help prevent injuries to workers on the job.
- How can RFID improve promotional and marketing incentives?
- Companies such as Kimberly-Clark, Procter & Gamble and many others are using RFID to track the location of promotional displays in the supply chain and within RFID-enabled stores. By knowing that promotional displays are not where they need to be, these companies can proactively work with retailers to get displays out, thereby increasing sales. RFID also has the potential to improve in-store marketing by enabling retailers to advertise to shoppers depending on where they are in the store. Shopping carts with smart terminals containing an RFID reader can read tags on shelves and, say, promote beer on sale when the consumer is in front of the beer section in the store. In the future, when more individual products are tagged, some envision readers in carts identifying products and pitching related items. For instance, when a customer places lettuce in a cart, the smart terminal might flash an ad for salad dressing.
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