Why Install Storage Lockers?

A recent survey conducted for the new Seattle Comprehensive Plan found that 40% of work related automobile trips are less than five miles in length, a distance most people consider comfortable for bicycling. Two percent of the survey participants said that they would commute by bicycle if showers and lockers were provided at their work sites.

Providing locker rooms for employees encourages bicycle commuting as well as other healthy activities like jogging or playing sports during the lunch hours. Healthy employees are productive employees. Often a domino effect takes place in office that make healthy activities a fun and encouraged part of their program. A few cyclists will naturally generate more who want to join in the fun.

Employers demonstrate a tangible concern for their employees' health and welfare when they install lockers and showers. More pragmatically a 2% (or greater!) increase in employee bicycle ridership would significantly help a business adhere to the new Washington State Commute Trip Reduction Law.

Where To Begin?

Ask some key questions:

• How much use will the lockers receive (keep in mind the immediate users as well as future use)?
• How much space is available?
• What is the budget?
• Are there security risks? How many people will have access to the locker room? Will it be open only to employees?

Location:

Existing buildings may not have many options for new locker room locations. A common complaint of cyclists working in professional offices is the need to change clothes in a rest room shared with customers, clients and visitors. Attaching a locker room with a door to the rest room is a common solution.

Showers:

Ideally locker rooms will have showers. Locker room floors should not be slippery when it is wet. Mats or carpeting prevent slips and falls and good ventilation to keep it odor free. It should be heated in the winter and cooled in the summer.

Buying Lockers:

Locker Sizes

Lockers range in width from 9" to 24" and in depth from 12" to 24". To fit clothes hangers a locker must be at least 15" deep.

Standard locker heights are 60" or 72". Lockers may be divided into different compartments or tiers. One tier lockers provide ample room for full length garments. They usually have a top shelf for shoes, helmets or lunches.

Double tier lockers with 30" or 36" openings are designed for suit jackets. This is smallest space recommended for storage of bicycle bags, shoes, helmets, and hanging suits or dresses. Remember, some cyclists may want to drive or bus to work once or twice a week to leave clothes for the week. This enables them to make lighter trips on their bikes without crumpling clothes.

Duplex or two-person lockers, offered by many locker companies, provide sufficient storage for two people in a space only 15" wide. Each occupant has a full-length coat compartment and a smaller show or helmet sized compartment located above.

Locking Mechanisms

There are a variety of locking systems for lockers. Some lock systems provide three sided security; when the handle is turned bolts run from the door into three sides of the locker frame. Two sided and on sided security lockers are also available.

Built in lock systems include padlocks, key or card operated locks, and coin operated locks. Lockers also come with latches that allow user to supply their own padlocks.

Assignment of lockers may determine the best type of lock to use. Regular cyclists need an assigned locker they can use day after day. It may be wise to combine assigned lockers with daily use lockers to accommodate occasional users.

Ventilation

Anyone who has had to put rain and sweat soaked clothes on at the end of the day knows that ventilation is essential. In the Northwest cyclists often arrive at work wet.

Mesh wire lockers, like the Diamond Steel Mesh by LyonMetal Products (1-800-323-0082), provide maximum air circulation, making each unit an individual drying room. However contents of the locker are visible. This may present a security concern.

Perforated lockers, like the Teammate available from Medart (1-800-647-7155), provide ventilation without compromising strength. The perforations on the door are not expanded metal, but stamped out of heavy gauge steel. The provide a little more privacy than mesh lockers.

Louvered lockers, like the Fortress from Interior Steel Equipment (216-881-0100) which has 1" wide x 1/2" high mini louvers in a horizontal pattern covering the door, protect contents by keeping them out of sight yet provide some ventilation. They come in a variety of patterns.

Materials

Most lockers are made of high gauge steel. Steel should be treated with a bonding and rust inhibitive phosphate treatment and then spray painted with a heavy coat of enamel. Enamel comes in a variety of vivid colors that can be matched to locker room walls or floor. In high humidity or corrosive atmospheres many locker manufacturers recommend an additional application of a corrosion resistant finish.

Some accessories worth considering:

• Sloping tops prevent use of locker tops as storage areas.
• Continuous base boards eliminate open space at the legs providing a finished easy to clean, enclosed appearance.
• End panels fit over the last locker in a line for additional strength and flush appearance.
• Most locker manufacturers offer "quiet lockers." These are like the standard lockers with the addition of a full length reinforcing channel welded to the inside of a solid door. This results in a door that is more rigid with increased sound suppression.
• Lockers can be customized with hooks, shelves, drawers, mirrors, etc.
• Remember Benches! Locker room users will appreciate a bench to put their bags on and sit on while changing shoes.

If you have any questions please drop a line to: info@bicyclealliance.org

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