| Summary: | The underground work environment posed multiple hazards, making worker safety a paramount concern. Although Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) provided essential protection, its limitations were in monitoring and communication, especially during emergency situations. In response, this paper proposed the design and implementation of an Internet of Things (IoT) device to enable cost-effective wireless communication system. The selection of both hardware and software was essential to guarantee the feasibility and practicality of deployment in underground environments, minimizing both cost and development time. The potential hardware was listed with varied specifications and readily available in Malaysia. On the software front, a list included open-source and flexible options that aligned seamlessly with the Rapid Application Development (RAD) approach. This development strategy paved the way for future implementations, with the potential for seamless expansion to accommodate more features. In this paper, the proposed development integrated LoRa32, battery powered with Li-ion with capacitive touch, DS18B20, MICS-6814, while using both LoRa and Wi-Fi wireless communication. This purposed system was coded using Arduino IDE and developed a monitoring app using Flutter. The developed IoT device could monitor working conditions and provide prompt responses to potential dangers to optimize emergency operations and enhance overall safety in underground settings. © 2024 IEEE.
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