The buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) trend has expanded beyond traditional brick-and-mortar retail outlets and into distribution and industrial operations. Business-to-business customers are purchasing parts, components, consumables, and other industrial materials online and picking up their orders directly from the warehouse. To facilitate the process, more operations are building self-serve industrial lockers from different materials, including wire mesh panels.

“Frequently, these facilities don’t have a service counter or other designated area to manage these pickups,” said Ray Niemeyer, Vice President of Sales at SpaceGuard Products. The company is a member of the Protective Guarding Manufacturers Association (ProGMA).

“As a result, more operations are building self-serve industrial lockers,” he continued. “The lockers are a similar concept to restricted access cages installed at dock entrances. Also often made from wire mesh panels, these cages restrict unauthorized persons to a designated area within an industrial facility.”

What Are Self-Serve Industrial Lockers?

Self-serve industrial lockers are also known as technician lockers, mechanic lockers, or distribution lockers. As the name implies, these are banks of divided shelving with multiple lockable doors. Access to the locker area is controlled, as is the ability to open only a designated locker. The back of the lockers is often open, allowing employees to sort orders directly into them without having to leave their workspace.

“With the lockers, a customer can send an employee or a courier to retrieve the order. Because the area is secure, an operation does not have to worry that visitors might walk into the warehouse or production areas where they don’t belong,” Niemeyer said. “The lockers also save time, as customers or couriers can access them without needing an employee to be present or assist them.”

Wire Mesh Panels Enhance Security

Some operations create these spaces with materials they source from their local hardware store. That can include wood framing and chicken wire, or chain link fencing and posts, noted Niemeyer.

“Neither of these approaches are ideal,” he explained. “Chicken wire and wood framing is neither sturdy nor secure. Staples attach the wire to the wood, so it’s easy to pull apart. Also, the wire is not hard to cut through, bend, or otherwise damage. That increases the potential for theft.”

While chain link fencing is a sturdier option, its woven construction is difficult to work with, Niemeyer continued. “It is harder to cut chain link to the right sizes for the openings because it is a woven material and tends to unravel. The posts are round and difficult to mount, and the clips that connect the fencing to the posts can be hard to secure. Overall, the installation is extremely labor intensive.”

For both security and ease of installation, wire mesh panels offer an optimal solution for creating self-serve industrial locker areas. The modular panels come in standard or custom sizes and bolt to each other, to posts, or to building columns. This creates a sturdy, completely enclosed, and free-standing structure. The panels feature a steel frame and steel wire mesh with small openings for visibility and security. Solid metal panels are an option for hiding the contents of each locker.

“Industrial lockers made from wire mesh panels are much more secure than the other options because they’re rigid and can’t be easily cut through or pulled open,” added Niemeyer. “Because the panels come pre-sized, they’re very easy to handle. That makes installation much faster and less expensive than chicken wire or chain link.”

Wire Mesh Panels for Larger Storage Lockers

In addition to creating self-service industrial lockers and restricted access cages, wire mesh panels provide security in a range of other applications. These include:

• Installation on the back and sides of industrial pallet rack to ensure contents don’t fall off and potentially strike personnel, equipment, or facility structures.
• To secure the perimeter of powered equipment or machinery and prevent employee injuries.
• As a lockable cage to protect high value inventory or tooling in storage areas by restricting access.
• For mounting floor-to-ceiling for safeguarding of pharmaceuticals and other controlled substances.
• In multi-tenant residential buildings to create secure storage spaces.

Discover More Protective Guarding Options

Looking for more ways to protect people, inventory, equipment, and building structures? Visit the Protective Guarding Manufacturers Association (ProGMA) website, which includes a protective guarding search tool. Additionally, ProGMA Members are available to consult about unique operations and recommend protective guarding solutions to improve operational safety.