Workplace Lockers: Regulations, Sizing and How to Choose (UK Guide)

Why Your Workplace May Be Legally Required to Provide Lockers

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, Regulation 23, requires employers to provide suitable facilities for workers to store their own clothing not worn during working hours and, where appropriate, special clothing worn at work but not taken home. In practice, this means that if your employees change out of their own clothes into workwear, PPE, or uniforms on site, you have a legal obligation to provide secure, clean storage.

Lockers are not simply a convenience—they are a welfare requirement. Failing to provide them in environments where they are clearly needed can result in enforcement action from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Who Needs Workplace Lockers?

The obligation to provide clothing storage applies most clearly in the following situations:

• PPE and workwear users: Any worker required to change into protective equipment, high-visibility clothing, or site uniforms on the premises needs somewhere to leave their street clothes.
• Wet or dirty environments: Construction sites, factories, workshops, and facilities where work clothing becomes soiled or wet need clean separation between work and personal clothes.
• Food handling environments: Food safety legislation typically requires clean, segregated changing and storage facilities to prevent contamination of work clothing.
• Hazardous substance handlers: Where workers may be exposed to chemicals, biological agents, or other hazardous materials, keeping work clothing entirely separate from personal clothing reduces the risk of contamination being taken home.

Even where not strictly required by regulation, lockers contribute to employee wellbeing, reduce theft, and help maintain a tidy and organised workplace.

Types of Workplace Locker

Lockers are available in several configurations. Choosing the right type depends on what workers need to store, the space available, and how many people are using them.

Single-Door Full-Height Lockers

These are the traditional locker type—one large compartment per unit, typically 1,800mm tall. They are best suited to environments where workers store full sets of clothing and personal belongings, including coats and footwear. Each employee has their own dedicated locker.

Two-Tier Lockers

A full-height locker case divided into two compartments stacked vertically. Two-tier lockers offer a good balance between storage capacity and user numbers—you get twice as many lockers from the same footprint. They suit environments where storage needs are moderate and changing facilities are shared between shifts.

Four-Tier and Six-Tier Lockers

Higher-tier lockers sacrifice individual compartment size in favour of density. A six-tier locker bank can provide six compartments from the space a single full-height locker would occupy. These are suited to workplaces where only small personal items need to be stored—wallets, phones, keys—rather than full garments.

Nest Lockers (Horizontal)

Designed to fit under benches in changing areas, nest lockers are a compact solution for environments with limited floor-to-ceiling height. They are common in sports and leisure facilities as well as some manufacturing environments.

Materials and Construction

Steel remains the standard for workplace lockers in most industrial and commercial settings. Steel lockers are robust, durable, and resistant to the knocks and impacts common in busy changing areas. Look for units with a powder-coated finish to resist corrosion.

Laminate lockers offer a smarter, more office-like appearance and are a popular choice in gyms, schools, and corporate environments. They resist moisture well and are easy to clean, but are generally less suited to rough industrial use.

Plastic lockers are specifically designed for wet environments—swimming pools, food processing facilities, and other areas where metal would corrode. They are completely impervious to moisture and can be hosed down for cleaning.

Ventilation

Where lockers are used to store work clothing—particularly damp or odorous garments—ventilation is essential. Most quality workplace lockers feature perforated doors or ventilation slots that allow air circulation within the compartment. This helps clothing dry out and prevents the build-up of unpleasant odours. In food handling areas, ventilation also prevents the growth of mould or bacteria in stored clothing.

Standard Sizing

Most standard locker units are 300mm wide and 300–450mm deep, with a full-height case measuring approximately 1,800mm. Individual compartment heights vary by tier count: a two-tier locker typically provides around 870mm of usable height per compartment, while a six-tier locker gives around 285mm—enough for folded clothing and small items but not suitable for hanging garments.

If workers need to hang high-visibility jackets, coats, or boilersuits, single-door full-height lockers are the appropriate choice. A minimum internal hanging height of 1,600mm is recommended to accommodate most garments without bunching.

Wet Area Considerations

Changing rooms and locker rooms in environments where workers arrive wet or change out of wet clothing present additional challenges. Ensure the flooring is non-slip and drains effectively. Bench seating between locker banks helps workers change safely. Lockers should be raised off the floor on plinth feet or legs to prevent the base rusting from contact with wet flooring. Plastic or laminate lockers are worth considering in these environments.

Locking Options

The locking mechanism determines how lockers are allocated and accessed:

• Key lock: The most common option. Each locker comes with one or two keys. Simple and reliable, though key management can become an administrative task in large facilities.
• Combination lock: No key to lose. Users set their own code. Built-in combination locks remove the need for separate padlocks.
• Coin-return lock: Users insert a coin (typically a £1 coin) to lock the locker and retrieve it when they open it. Commonly used in facilities where locker allocation is temporary and no ongoing key management is needed.
• Electronic/digital lock: Pin-code or proximity card access. More expensive but offers audit trails, master-override capability, and no physical key to duplicate or lose. Suitable for high-security environments or facilities where locker allocation changes frequently.

Planning Your Locker Installation

Before purchasing, consider the number of employees using the changing area at peak times—typically the end of a shift. If multiple shifts use the same locker room, lockers can be shared between shift workers, reducing the total number required. Allow enough aisle space in front of locker banks for comfortable use—a minimum of 1,200mm clear between opposing banks is recommended.

For large installations, consider numbering or colour-coding locker bays to help workers locate their allocated unit quickly.

Browse Workplace Lockers

Cocus supplies a range of workplace lockers suitable for industrial, commercial, and welfare environments. Whether you need a single unit for a small team or locker banks for a large facility, our range covers the key configurations, materials, and locking options to meet your Regulation 23 obligations and beyond.