September 2002
Welcome Back To School !
If you have questions or comments regarding this publication please fill out the Wizard Form provided on the web site. We hope that the information provided in this and future publications will be of use to you and your facility. If you would like to receive this monthly publication automatically by email, please use our newsletter registration form.
A Serious Matter
The information in this article was not generated from a Locker Wizard question but from a newspaper article. A student was changing his clothes after gym class when a bank of lockers toppled over and pinned him against a locker bench. Luckily, the student escaped with only minor injuries. A student at West Point, about 15 years ago, was not so lucky.
This article really raises 2 issues. The first is an issue that we have touched on multiple times, and that is that your lockers must be maintained on a regular basis. Your lockers are a tremendous help to your students and faculty, however, they can also be a serious liability to your facility if not maintained.
The second issue has to do with design. Over the years, we have seen many locker room designs. A common approach is to have lockers around the perimeter of the room anchored to the wall. In the center of the room are "islands" of lockers anchored back-to-back. Occasionally, you will see a design where there is a single row of lockers used as a wall or visual barrier.
Placing a row of lockers away from the wall with no means of anchoring through their backs, is an accident waiting to happen. In a standard locker, more than 75% of the unit weight is in the front, while in a heavy duty gym locker that percentage is reduced to 60%. The lockers a still top heavy; one frisky football player can take a bank down with just a few "playful" shots. Avoid this type of layout at all costs.
If you forgot to order your locker parts over the summer or if you need some additional furniture for some unexpected students, you've come to the right place.
We've had a couple of complaints lately that our site is not complete. Hey, I'm typing as fast as I can! Why not send up an e-mail listing the items that you would like to see on our site?
Anyhow, I hope that you enjoyed you summer vacation!
Until next month, keep your doors hinged and your nuts tight!