How to plan and execute an evacuation properly? Using RFID technology in occupational health and safety

People don't always behave rationally in dangerous situations. Therefore, during an evacuation, fear and panic often determine their actions, not established health and safety procedures. Safely removing people from the danger zone is therefore an extremely difficult task for the operation coordinator, but one that can be facilitated by RFID technology, which allows for radio-frequency identification of individuals.

Evacuation is a collective protection measure used in the event of a dangerous situation that poses a threat to human health and life. It involves the organized movement of people to leave the hazardous area and reach a designated assembly point as quickly as possible. Because the primary goal of the operation is to save lives, evacuation always begins at the point of risk.

Evacuation in accordance with occupational health and safety regulations

According to occupational health and safety regulations, people in the danger zone are obligated to follow the instructions of the evacuation coordinator. When an alarm is sounded, they should immediately proceed towards the emergency exit, moving quickly but steadily, and above all, at a calm pace. After leaving the facility, they should immediately report to designated identification points.

The effectiveness of an evacuation depends largely on the behavior of people, who often panic under stress and therefore don't always follow procedures. This creates chaos, making it difficult for the evacuation coordinator to conduct a smooth and safe operation.

In addition to human reaction, factors that influence the evacuation process include:

  • the time allocated to evacuate all people from the danger zone,
  • the type of threat (e.g., smoke during a fire limits visibility and impedes movement),
  • the level of threat (e.g., the number of rooms occupied by the fire),
  • the building's architecture (size, layout of rooms, corridors, and exits).

To ensure efficient evacuation, solutions are implemented at the building design stage to facilitate the removal of large numbers of people from the facility. The interior design optimizes the layout of rooms, corridors, and passageways, and appropriately wide exits are constructed. Emergency routes and exits are clearly marked, and employees are informed of the rules that apply during evacuation. While all this allows for smooth movement, it does not provide the coordinator with complete control over the course of the operation. This is achieved only through automatic identification of individuals using radio waves.

RFID-based evacuation

RFID technology allows for the identification of all persons present in a specific area within a second, as well as their precise location. This is achieved via a radio signal emitted by long-range tags assigned to individual persons, which is received and recorded by RFID readers. Because the tags are equipped with an electronic circuit that stores a large amount of data, highly precise identification of each person involved in the evacuation is possible.

In the RFID Evacuation Monitoring System, tags enable:

  • automatic identification – occurs at a passageway or assembly point, contactless from a distance and while in motion,
  • group identification – ensures simultaneous recognition of up to several hundred people in a group.
  • instant identification – real-time recognition with information about the location of individuals.

The RFID Evacuation Monitoring System requires no additional action on the part of evacuees or the coordinator, and the entire registration process is automatic.

Employee identification occurs:

  • at the assembly point – performed by the evacuation coordinator using a reader or automatically at the RFID gate,
  • in the hazard zone – performed at all passages using a reader and antenna set.

Thanks to RFID, when a threat occurs, the occupational health and safety specialist immediately has up-to-date information on the number of people involved and their current location. They know who is in the danger zone, who is moving and where, who has left the facility, and who has already reached the assembly point. This allows them to identify individuals within a large group by name. They remotely monitor the situation at all times, enabling them to provide responding emergency services with up-to-date information that facilitates the identification of those remaining in the danger zone. This minimizes the risk of injury or even death to those caught in a dangerous situation.

RFID summary

RFID technology used in evacuation monitoring systems is a solution that improves occupational health and safety standards, particularly in areas with a higher risk of danger. By registering entries and exits and controlling movement within the facility in the event of a dangerous situation, it facilitates a smooth evacuation, and above all, one that is safe for everyone.


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