| Happy Halloween. The
lock is the most determining factor that distinguishes a locker
from a cabinet. For any facility choosing the incorrect locking
mechanism for their lockers and clients' use can be disastorous.
One of the first and most important question our customer service
representative ask a potential customer and locker specifier is "
how are the lockers going to be used?". And, once we can get to
arriving at the answer to that question then we can recommend the "
right" type of lockset for that use and
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We have two basic
types of usage for lockers. Lockers will be issued either for
permanent or temporary use. That's say the lockers are going into
a locker room at a typical fitness facility and the lockers will be
used for the duration of a workout. The client knows in advance
that he/she will need to use a locker, that the lockers are
equipped with a padlock hasp, and brings their own padlock. Or, in
a medical office a patient finds out at the last minute that the
examination requires storing personal belongings in a locker and is
issued a key to the locker. Or, resort hotel has a fitness center
for guests and a guest requests to use a locker while using the
facility, a front desk attendant will issue a key with a number
tag. If we mix these applications and expect that the patient or
hotel guest will have a padlock at there disposal, we would be
terribly mistaken. Wrong locks for the
application.
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A third consideration
is convenience. Oftentimes it is considered to be inconvenient to
have a key or a padlock in order to use the lockers. The
convenient solution is a keyless locking mechanism. This could be
a dial combination lockset by Zephyr or Master Lock, or a
pushbutton combination lockset by Simplex for permanent use. And,
a rotary dial combination lockset by Real or a digital lockset by
Digilock and Codelock for temporary use. No keys required, but you
do need to remember the combinations.
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A major and often
times overlooked consideration is security. Many times a locker
room can be vulnerable to locker breakage and vandalism since CCTV
is considered invasive to privacy and locker room attendants are
rather expensive. The most secure locking mechanism available on
the market today for locker application is our padlock hasp. Our
hasp is case harden steel, cadmium plated and through bolted to the
side of the locker and passes through the locker door. In order
to defeat this locking mechanism a thief will need to break the
door down around the hasp or break the side of the locker away.
This is to much work for the typical break in and thief moves
on.
Now we are seeing RFID
locks by Ojmar, Hafele, etc. being specified. Typically this
require an energized wand, card or key to operate the lock for the
lockers and other areas in the facility such as payment systems or
purchases and membership. Many times, we will prep the locker door
to receive this lock and the actual lock mechanism is supplied by
the system manufacturer.
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