While in school, the big fear was getting shoved into a locker. Today there’s a real concern for just touching lockers at work, regardless of the industry. In the wake of COVID-19, we’re all much more aware of the public health need for sanitized shared surfaces. That’s just one of many reasons automated lockers, offering a touchless experience, are gaining in popularity.
Whether your organization provides lockers to employees or visitors, they are both going to prefer touchless automated lockers. The applications are endless:
- Supporting the touchless exchange of reserves and collection items in libraries
- Providing peace of mind to public safety officers storing their stuff between shifts
- Facilitating the delivery of mail and packages in campus and retail settings
- Enabling business environments to embrace hybrid workspaces and still give employees onsite somewhere to put their belongings
- Streamlining visitor experience in athletic facilities, recreation centers, museums and galleries
How Do Automated Lockers Work?
Smart storage delivers a tailored experience to address your productivity, innovation and comfort challenges. Automated lockers are a key part of any smart storage installation.
Customize a digital solution to your needs leveraging networked locks to give people access to lockers using:
- RFID card reading stations for a bank of lockers
- RFID card reading installed directly in the doors
- Apps that work with your smartphone or even your smartwatch
Without having to key in a number or manually configure a lock, the individual is able to open and close lockers touch-free. Plus, manufacturers recognize users can forget keycards at times. So, you can even access the locker through a mobile or app or connected smart device.
Why the Touchless Experience is Gaining Popularity
A contactless automated locker system keeps belongings safe while cutting the risk of germ exposure. Additionally, the lockers can be manufactured from more hygienic materials. We’ve used antimicrobial laminates or polymer, copper-infused laminates or solid surfaces, nonporous solid surface, phenolic panels and more.
Another advantage? These lockers are easy to clean. The materials are built to withstand frequent disinfecting and sanitation. Plus, touchless lockers don’t have locks or key mechanisms mounted on their face. Taking away the protrusions on the doors makes a thorough clean simpler and quicker.
Cleaning crews also appreciate the touchless locker technology as an entire bank of lockers can be opened for cleaning at the touch of a button. No more need to lock and unlock every individual locker. That adds up to a real time savings.
The digital component of these smart lockers also supports usage-based cleaning. With a smart locker system integrated with your building management systems, you have access to the data telling you who is using what lockers, and when. The lockers can also be automatically disabled to prevent use until they have been cleaned.
If contact tracing is necessary, managers can track which lockers were used and who else may need to be notified. It’s also easy to enforce social distancing by making every few lockers unavailable in your digital dashboard.
How to Incorporate Automated Lockers
When trying to envision where to put automated lockers in your environment you might think of lockers lining a long hallway, We can do that, of course. But that’s not the only way to integrate automated lockers into your work spaces.
You might use automated lockers as wall partitions, especially in work environments where you are trying to facilitate a spaced-out return to the office. Or use counter height lockers for personal belongings. Then, let the locker installations double as workplace islands where people can meet for a stand-up scrum or brainstorm new approaches to that architectural design.[1]
While you’re prioritizing people’s health with touchless automated lockers, you might add biophilia touches. What’s that? The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) describes it as bringing the outdoors indoors to “encourage the connection between humans and nature, as well as promote staff wellness and productivity.”
How can lockers do that? Leave room at the top of the lockers to let in the sunlight or put plants on that uppermost shelf so that there is some natural greenery. Even choosing a natural analog material for your automated lockers can make a difference. Or configure your lockers to border an expansive view or help designate nooks and crannies for reflection.
Automated Lockers, Always Convenient
Touchless lockers are flexible and adaptable. Automated lockers improve peace of mind, increase productivity and make disinfecting more efficient. See our lockers in action. Request a virtual demo or speak to one of Patterson Pope’s storage experts today.
