A staff locker room can quickly become cramped, awkward or unsafe when lockers are selected before the space is properly planned. The right staff locker room layout gives employees enough room to open doors, change comfortably and move through the area without creating bottlenecks.
This guide explains how to assess locker dimensions, aisle widths, door clearance and placement for an Australian workplace. It also covers practical choices for offices, warehouses, workshops, end-of-trip facilities and other shared staff areas.
Before drawing a floor plan, work out who will use the room and what they need to store. A small office team carrying bags and jackets has different requirements from warehouse staff storing boots, uniforms and personal protective equipment.
Record the following details:
Plan for peak use rather than the average headcount. If two shifts overlap or most employees finish together, the room must handle that short period of heavy traffic.
Locker dimensions vary considerably between models, so always use the measurements on the selected product page before finalising the layout. The external width and depth affect floor space, while the internal compartment size determines what employees can actually store.
A single-tier locker provides one tall compartment. It suits jackets, uniforms and larger personal items, but it uses more wall width per user than a multi-tier configuration.
Two compartments are stacked vertically. This configuration can suit workplaces where employees store a bag, folded clothing and smaller personal belongings rather than long garments.
Three-tier and higher configurations increase the number of storage spaces along a wall. They work well for compact belongings, but compartment height can become restrictive. Check that bags, helmets or work equipment will fit before choosing a high-density layout.
Steel lockers are a familiar choice for offices, warehouses and staff amenities. Plastic lockers may be useful in damp or frequently cleaned environments. Consider moisture, ventilation, cleaning routines and the risk of impact when comparing materials.
There is no single aisle measurement that suits every project. The necessary width depends on locker depth, door swing, seating, expected traffic and applicable building and accessibility requirements.
As a practical planning method, allow for three separate zones:
A narrow gap may look adequate on a drawing but fail when a locker door, an open bag and another employee occupy the aisle at once. Test the busiest section at full scale with tape on the floor or temporary furniture before approving the layout.
Where lockers face each other, account for doors opening on both sides. Increase the space where employees change clothes, carry bulky equipment or arrive together. Any required accessible path, doorway clearance or emergency egress must be confirmed by a qualified building professional against the rules applying to the site.
Avoid beginning a bank of lockers immediately inside the doorway. People often pause at the entrance, and an open locker door can obstruct access. A clear arrival zone makes the room easier to enter and leave during shift changes.
Place high-use lockers away from narrow corners, washroom entries, time clocks and doorways. If possible, create more than one route through a large room so one person does not block everyone else.
Benches make changing easier, but a continuous central bench can create a barrier. Shorter bench sections may provide better circulation and allow users to approach lockers from different directions.
Do not place seating so close that open doors strike the bench or a seated employee. Include enough space for footwear and bags without forcing people to leave belongings in the aisle.
Lockers pushed tightly into an internal corner can become difficult to open. Handles and doors may collide with the adjacent bank. Corner filler space or a change in locker orientation can prevent unusable compartments.
Keep access to electrical panels, ventilation points, plumbing, fire equipment and maintenance hatches clear. Locker banks should not conceal equipment that staff or contractors need to reach.
| Layout | Best suited to | Main advantage | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single wall | Small teams and narrow rooms | Simple circulation | Limited capacity |
| Opposing walls | Long rectangular rooms | Efficient use of wall space | Competing door swings |
| Perimeter layout | Medium or large change rooms | Open central area | Awkward corner lockers |
| Locker islands | Large facilities with high capacity needs | More lockers within the room | Reduced sightlines and circulation |
| Zoned layout | Mixed teams or different storage needs | Separates changing, storage and circulation | Requires careful signage |
For many small workplaces, a single-wall or opposing-wall layout is easiest to manage. Larger facilities may benefit from zones, but capacity should not come at the expense of clear movement.
A workable layout must remain orderly after installation. Place lockers where supervisors and users can access them without compromising privacy. Choose locks that suit the way the workplace operates, including employee turnover and lost-key procedures.
Useful planning details include:
Personal lockers should not become general storerooms. Use dedicated storage cabinets for cleaning products, stationery or shared equipment, subject to the storage requirements of those items.
A successful locker room balances storage capacity with comfortable movement. Start with employee needs, use exact product dimensions and leave enough room for doors, benches and peak-period circulation.
EasyMart’s office lockers and broader office storage ranges provide practical options for workplace fit-outs. Compare compartment sizes, materials and external dimensions carefully before committing to a final floor plan.
How much space should be left in front of staff lockers?|||Allow space for the full door swing, a person using the locker and other employees moving behind them. The correct amount depends on the locker model, room traffic and applicable accessibility and building requirements.@@@Should staff lockers face each other?|||They can, particularly in a long rectangular room, but the aisle must accommodate doors opening from both sides. A full-scale floor test is useful before installation.@@@Are single-tier or multi-tier lockers better?|||Single-tier lockers suit uniforms and larger belongings. Multi-tier lockers increase capacity but provide smaller compartments. Choose according to what employees actually need to store.@@@Where should benches go in a locker room?|||Place benches where they support changing without obstructing doors or the main path. Short bench sections can provide more flexible circulation than one long central bench.@@@How can a small staff locker room fit more lockers?|||Consider a suitable multi-tier configuration, use wall space efficiently and remove unrelated storage from the room. Do not reduce essential circulation or required access simply to increase capacity.@@@
