What Are Padlocks Used For?
At Locks Direct, we care about the safety of our customers. That’s why we advocate for the correct use of padlocks in and around your home and place of work.
That means if you have a padlock on your gate, shed, or garage for example, make sure it's locked between use, remember it’s not there for decoration. Also, if your lock has seen better days then replace it with a new and reliable lock.
If you’re unsure of which padlock to use check out our other blogs for useful guides on the best types of lock for all different applications. Padlocks have a plethora of uses and in this blog, we endeavor to explore all the uses for a padlock.
Whether it’s a garden gate, the gates to a school, or even a builders' yard, padlocks can be used to stop unauthorised access and prevent theft.
Shipping containers transporting goods overseas or containers used to store excess items when downsizing or between house moves should be secured with padlocks.
Padlocks can stop doors from flying open if a container is moved about a lot. It can also deter thieves from trying to gain access to the containers to find out what’s inside.
Often containers are not under 24-hour surveillance making them appealing to prospective thieves so it’s important to have security measures in place to deter them.
Lockers can be found in educational faculties, gym changing rooms, activity centres, and business staff rooms. The idea of lockers is to store items you’re unable to carry, but that you feel uncomfortable just leaving out in public.
This may be your trainers, mobile phone, wallet/purse, a gift you haven’t yet given, or even a bag of sweets you’re not willing to share. Whatever the value of the items in your locker it’s still a violation of your privacy if someone enters your locker and takes things without permission.
Keep your items secure with a trusted padlock and ensure you don’t share your passcode or lose your key.
If you’re going on holiday you may want to put a padlock on your luggage, this avoids theft and also stops anyone tampering with your luggage if you take your eyes off it for a moment.
You can also use your locked suitcase to store valuables in at your hotel. This way you don’t have to worry about your privacy or valuable items when housekeeping comes to clean the room.
Machinery can be dangerous if used by an untrained and unauthorised member of the public. If you’re working on a site with a lot of machinery use chains and padlocks to prevent untrained handling of the vehicles which could cause danger to those on and around the site.
That can also be said for tools, whether it’s tools used for working in the building industry or tools used for DIY in the home they should be secured to avoid theft and keep people safe.
Whether it’s cupboards in your home or office if they contain private documents or items that can’t be accessed by children or certain members of your household you may wish to keep them locked with a padlock to keep items secure.
Sheds are often home to tools, garden furniture, BBQs, garden toys, and anything else you can’t fit in your home anymore. Garages are usually the same unless you choose to keep your car in there. Regardless of the contents of your garage and shed you should keep them locked to avoid theft and vandalisation.
Bikes
If you use a bike for work or leisure purposes make sure you use a chain and padlock to secure your bike when it’s not in use. Whilst it’s not right many people take an unlocked bike as an open invitation to walk off with what isn’t theirs to take.
A lock can stop a thief from even trying as they know they’re unlikely to be successful and will be caught before they manage to break the lock.
These are not all the uses for a padlock, if we were to list them all we’d be here for a very long time. However, we’ve done our best to educate you on the array of different uses a padlock has and why they should be used. If you have any further lock-related questions don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our friendly expert team on 0800 542 1264.
