At A Glance
- In any kind of science lab, making sure all storage spaces are secured with cupboard child locks should be a priority
- Securing away hazardous chemicals and potentially dangerous equipment helps to keep staff and students equally safe
- Installing a variety of keyed locks, magnetic locks, and reinforced latch locks is the best lock combination for science labs
- Prioritise the installation of new cupboard lock mechanisms in line with a broader lab safety compliance plan for best practice and safety for all
When you are in charge of a science lab, it’s imperative to minimise risk – that’s why some cupboard child locks come recommended. In our chat with Locks & Hardware professionals about lab safety, they recommended three lock types in particular: reinforced latches, magnetic locks, and keyed locks. Let’s take a look at the best cupboard locks in science labs and how they make your life easier.
Why do you need cupboard door locks in a science lab? For one, safety. Most science labs are home to students and teachers, right? Well, students can be a little too adventurous. Keen to learn, they may try using equipment or substances that they are not capable of using at this moment. By securing dangerous compounds and equipment in protected storage, you minimise the risk of this happening.
So, make it a priority to assess your students’ ambition and ensure that only the right people have access to each chemical compound and piece of lab equipment.
The Risk Of Unauthorised Access In Science Labs
In any science lab, you must ensure access is properly managed. Keeping students out of potentially dangerous situations is a crucial part of being in charge of a science lab, right?
That means taking the time to help protect them from themselves. Students are always curious, and as they learn, they might become more confident in their ability to experiment. While that can be good, it could also put students – and staff – at risk. Unauthorised access in science labs can lead to issues like:
- Dangerous experiments that go wrong and put the health and safety of everyone at risk
- Unwanted access to dangerous chemicals that could produce life-changing damage
- Damage to property and equipment that should have been carefully protected
- Theft and loss of chemicals and equipment, costing your lab vital resources
Each of these problems is likely to occur if you don’t use the proper cupboard child locks. Of course, with so many choices for cupboard door locks, where do you start?
Locks & Handles professionals recommended three main lock mechanisms for your consideration. Let’s take a look at some of the best potential choices for science lab cupboard locks.
The Best Lock Types For Lab Cupboards: What Does The Job?
Unfortunately, there is always the double-edged sword with cupboard locks. If you choose a lock type that is very easy to open, it may as well not be there. Choose something overly secure, and it can slow down your science lab’s efficiency. What are the ideal compromises? What works best?
Reinforced Latch Locks
A reinforced latch lock is simple and easy to use, and makes sense for cupboard door locks. These are great for storage cupboards where you might keep equipment that is too valuable to risk being left out in reach of students. We recommend using reinforced latch locks to secure areas where you store high-value assets.
A latch lock is simple to operate but extremely secure. Once in position, it should keep the door shut unless a staff member with the correct credentials – such as a key – can open the door up. That reduces the risk of students wandering in, but it should also limit the risk that criminals who break in can open this particular cupboard.
Magnetic Locks
In certain areas, you will want doors that open quickly. This could be where you store things like beakers and basic experimentation equipment. Think about the most commonly used equipment that you use in your lab experiments.
You might wish to keep them secure from student access, but they should also be easy for staff to open. That means not having to fumble around to find keys. In that case, magnetic cupboard child locks work very well. Magnetic locks are very strong and almost impossible to force open. They are turned off or deactivated with a hidden button or a secondary magnet key.
Keyed Locks
For areas where you cannot afford access without permission, go for a keyed lock. Senior lab staff will need to keep the keys on hand for immediate access when needed, but keyed locks work extremely well for cupboard doors – especially in areas with chemicals and other experimental solutions.
Make sure that if you do have keyed locks, your staff come up with a comprehensive plan for key storage. It may also be useful to consider a keyed-alike storage system, meaning your science lab staff need just one key to open all these cupboards. Use keyed locks for areas where you keep high-value or high-risk equipment and reagents, but do not need to have immediate access.
Make Science Lab Locks Part Of A Broader Safety Strategy
Science labs, especially in the UK, come with a high bar for satisfaction when it comes to security compliance. There are simply too many risks inherent in a lab setting for people to be blasé about security!
That’s why we – and Locks & Handles – recommend cupboard child locks on all science lab storage spaces. Pick from standard reinforced latches and keyed locks, as well as easy-to-use magnetic locks for a good variety. When paired with other security measures, you can make your lab much safer for your students and your staff.
First and foremost, though, create storage solutions so you can quickly hide away expensive or dangerous experimental equipment. Once you have these high-risk objects kept in secure storage, you can start building a more comprehensive lab security plan that aligns with compliance in your sector.
