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A woman holds a rfid bracelet to a locker in order to unlock it.

What Is a Shared-Use Lock?

And you’re ready for a security upgrade for your facility. Lockers should be as effective and secure as possible. Let’s take a look at the benefits of shared-use locks for you as the owner or maintenance manager and what they can do for your students and community members.

A shared-use lock is one that is installed into a locker or secure cabinet and can be used by multiple individuals at various times of the day. These locks may use numerical or alphabetical combinations that each user can tailor to their needs when the locker is available. Shared-use locks can either be mechanical or electronic or with remote access capability through Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).

What Kinds of Facilities Use Shared-Use Locks?

  • Gym
  • Sports Facility
  • Pool
  • Campus Rec Center
  • Changing Room
  • Staff Break Room

What Types of Shared-Use Locks Are Available?

There is a range of solutions for securing lockers and cabinets that will be shared by multiple users, such as customers, students, employees, etc. The main differences are seen in the mechanism that allows people to lock and unlock the door in place of a key.

Mechanical shared-use locks don’t use batteries in their operation. They are simple to use and easy to manage, demanding nearly no upkeep. Plus, managers can use a tangible master key to maintain effective control over the lockers with this type of lock.

Electronic shared-use locks can be programmed easily by managers and use can be tracked through synced software. They can be used with member or student identification numbers and cards already in use at your facility.

How Are They Different from User-Provided Padlocks or Keyed Locks?

The shared-use lock cuts down on the need to replace misplaced keys or cut through a lock that has been left behind or when a key is lost. With the shared-use lock, building managers can use a master access code or proximity device to access all lockers and reset passcodes as needed.

Shared-use locks are also in no danger of being lost or stolen, which removes a fairly common issue among keyed locks. Additionally, shared-use locks are typically distinct in their functionality, fit, and ability to adapt to meet your particular needs.

What Are the Benefits of Using Shared-Use Locks?

Shared-use locks are popular among maintenance managers on university campuses, hospitals, banks, stores, and other commercial areas that provide secure lockers for staff, customers, or students. They provide a number of advantages for patrons and managers alike.

Benefits for Owners & Maintenance Managers

Shared-use locks increase the functionality of the lockers by allowing you to maximize the number of available lockers for your members. You can easily assign lockers when they’re not in use, rather than having an empty locker sit empty while the user is away. Other advantages include:

  • Enhanced security
  • Better tracking of locker assignments
  • Easy to change or cancel user permissions
  • Cost effectiveness
  • Elimination of the need to replace lost or stolen keys

Benefits for Users – Customers, Staff, Students

Shared-use locks offer many benefits for the patrons of your establishment. They work with identification cards for access to the locker contents. This decreases the number of items your patrons need to keep track of and eliminates the need to worry about losing a key. The shared-use locks provide an easier and quicker use of the space.

For further support on upgrading your facility’s security measures, call us or fill out our free, online estimate request form.

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