Workplace Locker Sizes and Layouts for Staff Areas

Workplace locker sizes and layouts should be planned around the people using the storage, what they need to put inside it and how the area operates at its busiest time. A locker can be the right physical size but still perform badly if it is positioned beside a doorway, creates a narrow aisle or cannot be accessed comfortably during a shift change.

This guide explains how to choose workplace locker dimensions and arrange locker banks for offices, factories, warehouses, staff welfare areas and changing rooms. It covers compartment formats, staff flow, shift changes, PPE and workwear storage, locker placement, benches, aisle space and the differences between compact office storage and industrial changing facilities.

For the broader workplace storage subject, use the Workplace Lockers UK guide. For complete staff changing-room planning, including welfare, PPE and clean/dirty organisation, use Workplace Changing Rooms: Staff Welfare and PPE Layouts.

Quick Answer: What Size and Layout Should Workplace Lockers Use?

Start by listing what staff need to store. Office users may only need space for bags, coats, laptops and personal belongings, while factory and warehouse staff may need larger compartments for uniforms, workwear, boots, helmets and PPE.

Once the compartment requirement is known, measure the full room and establish the staff route through it. Position lockers where users naturally need them, but avoid entrances, narrow corridors and other pinch points. Include locker depth, open doors, benches and standing users before deciding how many locker banks the room can support.

Choose the locker size from what staff need to store, then design the layout around how staff actually move and change.

Why Locker Size and Layout Need to Be Planned Together

Locker dimensions affect much more than the internal storage space. Wider or deeper lockers change how many units fit along a wall and how much usable floor area remains in front of them.

The layout then determines whether the chosen lockers remain practical when staff use them.

• Can staff reach the locker without standing in a doorway?
• Can doors open without striking benches or opposing lockers?
• Can users put on boots or PPE without blocking the main route?
• Can incoming and outgoing shifts use the area together?
• Can cleaners reach the floor around the locker banks?
• Can locks, hinges and doors be maintained?

For this reason, workplace locker sizing should never be treated as a product decision in isolation.

Step 1: Start with What Staff Actually Need to Store

Before comparing locker formats, identify the belongings and equipment used by each staff group.

Staff type	Typical storage	Likely locker requirement
Office staff	Bags, coats, laptops, lunch and personal items	Compact to medium personal storage
Warehouse staff	Coats, bags, high-visibility clothing, footwear and PPE	More generous compartments may be required
Factory staff	Uniforms, workwear, boots, helmets and personal clothing	Changing-room or specialist workwear storage
Maintenance staff	Workwear, outdoor clothing, footwear, PPE and equipment	Durable storage with sufficient depth
Healthcare staff	Uniforms and personal belongings	Storage organised around the staff changing process
Hybrid office staff	Laptop bags, coats and daily personal belongings	Shared or day-use storage may be appropriate

The contents should determine the compartment. A small multi-door locker can be ideal for a laptop bag and personal effects but unsuitable for bulky workwear or safety boots.

Step 2: Choose the Right Workplace Locker Format

Single-door lockers

Single-door lockers provide one larger compartment for one user. They can suit staff who need to store coats, hanging garments, workwear, larger bags or other bulky belongings.

Two-door lockers

Two-door lockers divide the vertical space between two users. They can increase capacity while still providing useful personal storage where full-height hanging space is not essential.

Multi-door lockers

Multi-door lockers provide several smaller compartments within a similar floor footprint. They can work particularly well for office and day-use storage where employees mainly carry bags, laptops and smaller personal items.

Z lockers

Z lockers can provide hanging space for more than one user within a shared-width arrangement. They can be useful where staff need hanging storage but floor space is limited.

Specialist lockers

PPE, boots, helmets, electronic equipment and other specialist items may require purpose-designed storage rather than a conventional personal locker.

For general locker dimensions and compartment choices, use the Locker Sizes UK guide.

Step 3: Decide Whether Workplace Lockers Are Assigned or Shared

The allocation method affects both quantity and layout.

Assigned lockers

Assigned lockers suit many factories, warehouses and regular staff environments where employees use the same locker each day or keep approved clothing and equipment in it between shifts.

Shared lockers

Shared lockers can suit hybrid workplaces, visitors and temporary staff where compartments are fully released after use.

The distinction matters because a workplace with 100 employees does not automatically need the same locker arrangement if only 50 people are present simultaneously and lockers are genuinely shared.

For workplace-specific quantity calculations, use How Many Workplace Lockers Do You Need?

Step 4: Map Staff Flow Before Positioning the Locker Banks

Workplace locker layout planning should follow the staff journey through the building.

A typical changing-room sequence may be:

1. Staff enter the welfare or changing area.
2. They reach their locker.
3. Personal belongings are stored.
4. Footwear or clothing is changed where required.
5. PPE or workwear is collected.
6. Staff continue towards the working area.

An office sequence may be simpler:

1. Employee arrives.
2. Personal belongings are placed into a locker.
3. The employee continues to their desk or working area.
4. The locker may be accessed again at breaks or departure.

Place the lockers where they support these routes rather than forcing staff to make unnecessary detours or stop in heavily used doorways.

Step 5: Choose the Right Workplace Locker Location

The best locker location depends on what staff are storing and when they need access.

Locker use	Useful location principle
Office personal storage	Easy to reach from normal staff routes without narrowing reception or busy corridors
Workwear storage	Close to the staff changing or welfare area
PPE storage	Conveniently positioned in relation to where PPE is put on or required
Staff changing lockers	Integrated with benches and changing activity rather than isolated from them
Visitor lockers	Accessible to authorised visitors without disrupting staff-only storage
Higher-security storage	Placed within an appropriately controlled area for the individual site

Avoid placing locker banks simply because an empty wall exists. A wall beside a busy doorway or narrow route may be a poor storage location even if the cabinets physically fit.

Step 6: Measure the Complete Staff Area

Measure more than available wall length.

• Room length and width
• Door positions and door swing
• Windows
• Radiators
• Columns
• Pipework
• Electrical equipment
• Ventilation points
• Washroom and shower routes
• Existing bench seating
• Steps or changes in floor level
• Cleaning and service access

The room has to function after the lockers are installed. Measurements therefore need to include everything that competes for floor or wall space.

Step 7: Check Locker Depth and Working Projection

Locker depth is particularly important in workplace storage because the items being stored can vary considerably.

A deeper compartment can provide useful storage for uniforms, coats, bags or PPE, but every increase in cabinet depth reduces the floor area remaining in front.

The working projection should consider:

• closed locker depth;
• open locker door;
• handles or lock projection;
• user standing space;
• bags or clothing being handled;
• and nearby bench seating.

For detailed projection planning, use the Locker Depth and Projection Guide UK.

Office Versus Industrial Workplace Locker Layouts

Office and industrial locker installations can look similar on a product list but have quite different requirements in use.

Planning factor	Office workplace	Factory / warehouse workplace
Typical belongings	Bags, coats, laptops and personal items	Uniforms, PPE, boots, workwear and personal belongings
Compartment size	Compact storage may be practical	Larger or specialist storage often required
Assigned/shared use	Shared storage may suit hybrid working	Assigned storage is common where workwear remains on site
Bench requirement	Often limited or unnecessary	Frequently important for changing and footwear
Peak period	Arrival, lunch and departure	Shift start and finish
Location priority	Convenient but unobtrusive staff access	Close relationship with welfare, changing and work routes
PPE requirement	Usually limited	Can strongly influence size and location
Cleaning demand	Normal workplace cleaning	May need to accommodate dirt, boots and workwear

Office Locker Layouts

Office lockers usually provide convenient storage rather than full changing facilities. Employees may need somewhere for coats, backpacks, laptop bags, helmets or personal possessions while working.

• Keep lockers convenient to normal staff routes.
• Avoid narrowing reception areas.
• Avoid obstructing busy corridors.
• Consider whether lockers are assigned or shared.
• Check whether coats need hanging space.
• Consider laptop or electronic-device storage where required.
• Choose finishes appropriate to the surrounding workplace.

Where hybrid working has reduced simultaneous attendance, do not automatically copy the traditional one-person-one-locker model without first checking how the organisation wants the storage to operate.

Factory and Warehouse Locker Layouts

Industrial workplace storage often needs to accommodate larger belongings and more changing activity.

• Allow suitable storage for uniforms and workwear.
• Measure safety boots and bulky PPE.
• Consider whether helmets need dedicated space.
• Include benches where staff change clothing or footwear.
• Check whether clean and dirty items need separation.
• Allow for intense shift-change periods.
• Keep routes to welfare facilities and work areas clear.
• Choose materials appropriate to the working environment.

For the complete changing-room process, including PPE and staff welfare, use Workplace Changing Rooms: Staff Welfare and PPE Layouts.

Position PPE Storage Where It Supports the Working Routine

PPE storage should not automatically be positioned with ordinary personal lockers if staff need the equipment at a different stage of the working process.

Ask:

• Where do staff put the PPE on?
• When is it removed?
• Does it remain on site?
• Is it clean or dirty after use?
• Does it need drying or ventilation?
• Is it individual or shared?
• Would locating it beside personal lockers create unnecessary movement?

Where the room needs clean/dirty or PPE zones, continue with the Locker Room Zoning Guide UK.

Step 8: Test the Layout During a Shift Change

Shift changes are one of the most important tests for factory, warehouse and operational workplace lockers.

A room that appears generous during the middle of a shift may behave very differently when one group is leaving and another is arriving.

• Can several staff open lockers at the same time?
• Can employees sit and change footwear?
• Can people pass occupied locker positions?
• Can incoming and outgoing staff cross without blocking the entrance?
• Do bags or PPE reduce the usable aisle?
• Can users reach washrooms or exits?

Where shift change creates one concentrated queue, splitting a very long locker bank into shorter groups can sometimes distribute activity more effectively around the room.

For detailed peak-use analysis, use the Locker Room Traffic Flow and Congestion Planning Guide.

Avoid Entrance and Corridor Pinch Points

The first available wall beside a doorway is not always a good locker position.

• Avoid heavily used lockers immediately inside narrow entrances.
• Do not allow open locker doors to obstruct corridors.
• Keep benches away from doorway turning space.
• Check reception and office circulation before adding locker banks.
• Keep access-control points usable where present.
• Allow people to enter the room before they need to stop.

This is particularly important in offices where locker storage may be added to circulation areas originally designed for movement rather than changing or stopping.

Step 9: Check Aisle Space with the Lockers in Use

Do not calculate workplace locker spacing from closed cabinets alone.

• Open locker doors occupy space.
• Users stand in front of compartments.
• Bags may be placed temporarily on the floor.
• Staff changing boots need additional working space.
• Opposing locker banks may be used simultaneously.
• Other staff may still need to pass.

For detailed practical spacing, use the Locker Aisle Width and Spacing Guide UK.

Step 10: Include Locker Door Clearance

A workplace layout can fit on paper and still fail if locker doors collide with benches, walls, opposing doors or people using the room.

• Check door width.
• Check opening direction.
• Check walls and room corners.
• Check opposing lockers.
• Check benches.
• Consider several doors being open together.

For detailed door-opening planning, use the Locker Door Clearance Guide UK.

Step 11: Include Benches Before Finalising Locker Positions

Bench seating is especially important where staff change footwear or work clothing. It should form part of the original workplace locker layout rather than being fitted into whatever space remains.

• Allow space for seated users.
• Allow staff to stand in front of the bench.
• Keep benches clear of locker door swing.
• Avoid placing benches immediately inside entrances.
• Keep bench ends away from narrow routes.
• Allow cleaning around and beneath seating.

Use the Bench Spacing and Clearance Guide UK for detailed bench planning.

Step 12: Balance Workplace Locker Capacity Against Usability

The maximum number of locker compartments is not necessarily the correct quantity for the room.

If a proposed arrangement becomes too crowded, consider:

• using a different tier configuration;
• using shallower lockers where the stored items allow;
• reducing the number of locker banks;
• splitting storage between more than one area;
• using shared lockers where the workplace operating model genuinely supports them;
• or moving PPE into dedicated storage.

For the generic calculation, use How Many Lockers Do You Need? A Locker Capacity Planning Guide.

Security and Lock Choice

Locker position and lock type should support the way the workplace manages storage.

Key locks, padlock fittings, mechanical combination locks and electronic systems can all suit workplace lockers. The best option depends on whether lockers are assigned or shared and how the organisation wants to manage lost keys, forgotten codes or override access.

For a fuller comparison, use Best Lock Options for Workplace Lockers or browse locker locking systems.

Step 13: Leave Cleaning and Maintenance Access

A tightly packed locker installation can become difficult to clean and maintain.

• Can the floor around the locker banks be cleaned?
• Can areas around benches be reached?
• Can doors and hinges be adjusted?
• Can locks be replaced?
• Can ventilation and service points remain accessible?
• Can a damaged locker be worked on without dismantling unrelated units?

Workplace Locker Size and Layout Priorities by Environment

Environment	Main storage requirement	Layout priority
Hybrid office	Bags, coats, laptops and personal belongings	Compact shared storage close to normal staff routes
Traditional office	Coats, bags and personal items	Convenient access without disrupting reception or circulation
Warehouse	Workwear, bags, footwear and PPE	Shift flow and durable staff storage
Factory	Uniforms, PPE, boots and personal clothing	Changing space, larger compartments and shift-change use
Engineering / maintenance	Workwear, outdoor clothing, footwear and PPE	Robust storage and practical changing access
Healthcare staff area	Uniforms and personal belongings	Storage integrated with the staff changing process

Common Workplace Locker Size and Layout Mistakes

• Choosing locker sizes before identifying what staff need to store.
• Using compact office compartments for bulky PPE or workwear.
• Using oversized lockers where smaller storage would meet the requirement.
• Measuring only available wall length.
• Ignoring locker depth and open-door projection.
• Positioning lockers immediately beside entrances.
• Adding locker banks to busy office corridors.
• Ignoring shift-change congestion.
• Failing to check incoming and outgoing shift overlap.
• Putting PPE storage far from where staff actually use it.
• Adding benches after the locker positions are fixed.
• Failing to check opposing locker rows during simultaneous use.
• Maximising compartment numbers at the expense of usable space.
• Ignoring cleaning and maintenance access.

Step-by-Step Workplace Locker Size and Layout Process

1. Identify each staff group using the storage.
2. List what each group needs to store.
3. Decide whether lockers are assigned or shared.
4. Calculate the required user capacity.
5. Choose a compartment format that suits the belongings.
6. Map the staff journey through the area.
7. Choose the most useful locker location.
8. Measure the complete available room.
9. Position the principal locker banks.
10. Check locker depth and projection.
11. Check entrance and corridor pinch points.
12. Check shift-change use.
13. Add locker-door clearance.
14. Add benches where changing is required.
15. Position PPE storage appropriately.
16. Check usable aisle space.
17. Check cleaning and maintenance access.
18. Confirm that the final capacity still suits the staff requirement.

Workplace Locker Size and Layout Checklist

• Do you know what staff need to store?
• Are the compartments large enough for those belongings?
• Have boots and PPE been considered?
• Are lockers assigned or shared?
• Has the required compartment quantity been calculated?
• Has the staff journey been mapped?
• Are lockers positioned close to where they are needed?
• Are office locker banks clear of busy reception and corridor areas?
• Is PPE storage sensibly located?
• Has the full room been measured?
• Has locker depth been included?
• Can locker doors open properly?
• Does usable aisle space remain?
• Are benches included where needed?
• Can staff use opposing locker rows simultaneously?
• Has shift-change overlap been tested?
• Can the area be cleaned?
• Can locks and doors be maintained?
• Does the completed room remain practical at peak use?

Related Workplace Locker Planning Guides

• Workplace Lockers UK: Staff Storage, Security, Compliance and Layout Guide
• Workplace Changing Rooms: Staff Welfare and PPE Layouts
• How Many Workplace Lockers Do You Need?
• Locker Room Layout Planning Guide UK
• Locker Depth and Projection Guide UK
• Locker Aisle Width and Spacing Guide UK
• Locker Door Clearance Guide UK
• Bench Spacing and Clearance Guide UK
• Locker Room Zoning Guide UK
• Locker Room Traffic Flow and Congestion Planning
• Best Lock Options for Workplace Lockers

Workplace Locker Size and Layout FAQs

Match Workplace Locker Size to the User and Layout to the Working Day

Good workplace locker planning begins with the user. Establish what staff need to store and how the lockers will be allocated, then choose compartment sizes and configurations that suit those belongings.

After that, plan the position of the locker banks around staff movement. Keep entrances and corridors clear, position workwear and PPE storage where staff naturally need it, include benches where changing takes place and test the room during the busiest shift change.

For product options, compare our commercial workplace lockers for offices, factories, warehouses and staff areas.

For help planning workplace locker sizes or layouts, call Total Locker Service on 01284 749211 or email sales@totallocker.co.uk.