What a cell phone locker is
A cell phone locker is a bank of small, individually locking cells where employees leave their phones while they work, and collect them again with their badge or a PIN. A smart version knows which cell belongs to which employee, logs every deposit and collection, and can charge the phone while it waits.
Workplaces put phones in lockers for a few common reasons:
- Phone-free areas. Production lines, clean rooms, secure rooms, exam halls and areas where cameras are not allowed. The locker sits at the entrance, so the rule is easy to follow.
- Safety on the floor. Some sites do not want handsets out around moving machinery or on a ladder.
- Shift work. Staff hand in personal devices at the start of a shift and collect them at the end, with a record if something goes missing.
- Keeping devices charged. Staff arrive with a flat phone and leave with a charged one.
Whatever the reason, the locker needs the same three things: a credential the employee already has, a cell the right size, and a record you can check.
How employees use it
- Arrive. The employee taps their badge or enters a PIN, and their cell opens.
- Deposit. They put the phone in and close the door. The door sensor confirms it is shut, and the deposit is logged with the employee, cell and time.
- Work. If the cell has a USB-C port, the charging session is logged against the same employee.
- Collect. At the end of the shift or on the way out of the restricted area, the same credential opens the same cell.
Every access is recorded in the cloud platform, whatever the access mode, so you can see who opened which compartment and when.
Access options
| Access | Best for |
|---|---|
| PIN code | Simplest to deploy, with no cards to issue. Suits shared staff lockers |
| RFID or ID card (MIFARE, HID, EM) | Staff already carry badges. Cards are issued and revoked in the locker software |
| PIN and card together | Cells holding high-value company devices |
Different cabinets in one installation can use different modes. For example, phone lockers can use a PIN while the cabinet holding loaner laptops uses a badge.
Charging lockers: phones charge while stored
Charging is a factory-fitted option, specified per order, and comes in two types:
- AC charging socket boards for laptops, tablets, radios and tool batteries. The socket board is mounted inside the cabinet, so the wiring is protected and only the outlet face is exposed.
- USB-C ports with usage tracking. Every session is logged with the user’s identity, the start and end time, the duration and the energy used. Operators can set usage limits per user or per day and report on charging by user.
The two can be combined on one cabinet. Because the ports are wired and mounted during manufacture, decide three things before ordering: which type, how many ports per cell, and where in the cell they sit. See charging ports for the details.
Beyond phones: issuing and returning company devices
The phone locker and the device locker are usually the same cabinet. On many sites, the more valuable use is for company equipment that moves between people:
- Loaner pools. An employee takes a loaner laptop or phone and returns it to any free cell. The loan opens and closes against their name.
- Request pickup. IT prepares a device against a ticket, places it in a cell, and the employee collects it with their badge. The asset is assigned to them on collection.
- Repair drop-off. A faulty device goes into a cell, and the return is logged against the employee’s ticket.
- Shift equipment. Radios, scanners, gas detectors and harnesses are issued at the start of a shift and returned at the end of it. On PPE vending machines, locker cells work in hybrid mode: they dispense the item and accept it back, and a new item can depend on the last one being returned.
KioskForce smart lockers can join the Industrial Vending platform that runs our PPE and tool vending machines. Through it they integrate with ServiceNow, so lockers and vending machines on one site share one employee list and one set of reports. For expensive items, cells can be specified with weight sensors that check the return. These are fitted during manufacture and cannot be added later.
Sizing the locker
A phone cell is small, so a cabinet can hold a lot of them. The configurator sets everything in millimetres:
| Setting | Range | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet width | 100–2000 mm | 800 mm |
| Cabinet height | 100–2000 mm | 1800 mm |
| Cabinet depth | 100–1000 mm | 500 mm |
| Rows × cells per row | 1–10 × 1–10, up to 100 cells | 5 × 2 |
The configurator calculates the cell dimensions as you go. Before you settle on a grid:
- Measure the largest phone in its case, and allow room for a cable if charging is fitted.
- Count the people on site at the same time, not total headcount, if cells are shared across shifts.
- Decide between assigned and shared cells. An assigned cell is simplest for personal phones. A shared pool suits loaner devices returned to any free cell.
- Mix cell sizes if the same cabinet will hold laptops or radios as well as phones.
- Choose fixed legs or castors. Castors let you move the cabinet when the floor layout changes.
What employee lockers cost
Employee lockers are quoted per configuration. The configurator gives an instant estimate that rises with cabinet size and cell count. Submit the design and you get a formal quotation, including shipping, within 1–2 business days. Charging ports, card readers and dual authentication add to the estimate. Orders start from a single unit for evaluation, and volume discounts apply at 20, 50 and 100 or more units. For published reference prices across locker types, see smart locker cost.
Before you order: a checklist
- What goes in the cells: personal phones only, or company devices too?
- Which credential: PIN, the badge staff already carry (and which card technology), or both?
- Assigned cells or a shared pool?
- Charging: none, AC, USB-C with tracking, or both, and how many ports per cell?
- Do any cells need weight sensors? They cannot be retrofitted.
- Should the record feed another system, such as ServiceNow?
- Where will the cabinet stand, and is there power and a network connection there?
Frequently asked questions
What is a cell phone locker for employees?
A cell phone locker is a cabinet of small, individually locking compartments where employees store their phones while they work, typically before entering an area where phones are not allowed. A smart phone locker opens with the employee’s badge or a PIN instead of a key, and each cell has a door sensor so every deposit and collection is logged. Cells can also charge the phone while it is stored.
Can employee phone lockers charge phones?
Yes, as an option fitted at the factory. Each cell can carry an AC charging socket board or USB-C ports. USB-C charging logs every session against the user who opened the cell, with start and end time, duration and energy used, and operators can set usage limits per user or per day. The port type, the number of ports and their placement are specified when the locker is ordered.
How do employees open their phone locker?
With a PIN on the keypad, an RFID or ID card, or both for higher-security cells. Card access works with MIFARE, HID and EM cards, so employees can usually use the badge they already carry. Cards are issued and revoked in the locker management software, so a leaver’s access ends when their card is revoked rather than when a key is returned.
Can the same lockers issue company devices as well as store personal phones?
Yes. The same cabinet can hold personal phones in some cells and company equipment in others. For company devices, an employee collects an assigned laptop, tablet, scanner or radio with their badge, the collection is logged against them, and the return is logged when it comes back to a cell. KioskForce smart lockers can connect to ServiceNow through the Industrial Vending platform, so a collection becomes an asset assignment and a return closes it.
How many cells does an employee phone locker need?
Start from the largest shift that is on site at once, not total headcount, if cells are reused across shifts. Then decide whether each employee has an assigned cell or uses whichever cell is free. A custom KioskForce cabinet holds up to 10 rows of 10 cells, and cabinets can be added. Measure the largest phone in its case, plus a cable if charging is fitted, before you set the cell size.
How much do employee lockers cost?
Pricing depends on cabinet size, cell count, access hardware and whether cells carry charging ports, so it is quoted per configuration. The online configurator at /customised_lockers/ gives an instant estimate as you set dimensions and cell layout, and a formal quotation including shipping follows within 1-2 business days. Orders start from a single unit, and volume discounts apply at 20, 50 and 100 or more units.
Related
- Smart lockers: how they work, types and cost: the full guide
- Custom smart locker configurator and quote
- Gym, sports and gear lockers
- ServiceNow smart lockers
- Charging ports
- L180-10C ten-cell smart locker
Talk to us about employee lockers
Tell us how many people need a cell, what they will store, and whether the cells should charge. We will come back with a cell layout and a price.
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