Why shipping container locker rooms make sense for Aussie mine sites
Tradesales
We manufacture and supply workplace equipment and solutions for Australia's heavy industry.
New mineral exploration is underway, and the mining industry is looking to hire 24,000 new workers by 2027.
This is great news. But it does come with challenges.
Mining teams needing more space to operate and service an ever-expanding fleet are running out of room for their workers to store their tools and personal gear.
And today’s extra scrutiny around the environment (and not to mention capital costs), means that mining operators are hesitant to build expensive new structures that they'll have to demolish and rebuild somewhere else later.
The solution? Relocatable locker rooms using custom-modified shipping containers.
Besides being more cost-effective and quicker to deploy than permanent structures, modified container locker rooms come with many benefits.
Durability and longevity
Shipping container locker rooms aren’t indestructible, but they are exceptionally tough and durable.
The thick steel walls of a container are built to weather the extreme conditions of sea freight and are just as fit for the harsh conditions found on mine sites across Australia. With only light maintenance, a shipping container locker room can last for many years, making them a capital asset that could outlast the life of the mine.
Security
A locker room needs to prevent unwanted people from getting inside and protect what’s being stored from damage or theft.
Even before any modifications, the inherent security of a shipping container achieves both these goals.
These steel boxes are extremely hard to break into and feature multiple locking points on the container doors. And if someone forgets to lock the container itself, the lockers inside the container provide a second layer of security.
For additional security heavy-duty padlocks, lock boxes, and security/alarm systems are possible modifications.
Mobility
The operations of mining teams often require them to frequently change work areas.
A locker room too far away from the work area has impacts on efficiency and productivity.
This challenge is easily solved with relocatable locker rooms that can moved with forklift, crane, or truck for around the site.
Stackable and scalable
Mining operations often need safe and effective solutions for infrastructure in a tight footprint.
Locker room containers can be stacked and supplied with stairs to create a multi-container building.
The modular nature of container buildings means that these facilities can scale as the work site and its workforce grows.
Quick to deploy with minimal impact on operations
A shipping container locker room can be completed quicker and more efficiently than a traditional construction project.
Locker room containers are constructed in a factory setting meaning weather can’t delay the project and any necessary on-site work can take place in parallel.
This off-site building method removes the disruptions and hazards of on-site earthworks and construction that could impact mining operations.
Predictable costs and precise timelines
Traditional construction projects often veer off schedule and go over budget – delaying operations and decreasing the return on investment.
The planning and processes that go into a modified container project allow for predictable upfront costs and precise timelines.
Sustainability
Empty and abandoned permanent structures on mine sites become a big environmental problem.
Buildings can be demolished, and debris removed but this is an expensive undertaking.
Upcycling containers into workplace structures keeps more metal and building material waste from getting added to landfills
And when these locker rooms are no longer needed for a finished project, they can be re-used for new projects — much more sustainable.
Tradesales’ Custom-Modified Tradelocker® Containers provide comfortable, secure and easy-to-access storage for workers onsite.
We’ve built TradeLocker® Containers for the biggest operators in the country.