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Abstract

The paper examines three potential safety solutions for the protection of port workers, which are based on a junction of Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID), as an automatic identification, data collecting and positioning system from one side, and ZigBee, as a low energy consumption communication technology from another. The considered solutions are placed in the context of the individual needs and capacities of the developing Port of Bar in Montenegro (South East Europe), which has been operating in the transitional environment for the past two decades. The transitional circumstances prevent the port from adopting advanced occupational and environmental safety systems. Therefore we are proposing models for improving the workers’ safety that are at the same time cost-effective, reliable and flexible. More precisely, the on port workers’ body area sub networks formed by RFID active/passive devices are treated in the paper as end nodes of the ZigBee network. On the other hand, the forklifts’ RFID warning systems are treated as the moving routers of the ZigBee network. Some simulation experiments with such RFID/ZigBee hybrid system in an OPNET environment have been implemented over the Port of Bar container and general cargo terminal layout, while corresponding conclusions have been derived, along with some directions for further research work in the field.

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