What to do about a locked file cabinet
Nobody thinks about the file cabinet key until the day it’s gone, and then it’s usually the cabinet with the thing somebody needs right now.
Here’s what we see most, and what actually helps.
The key is probably still gettable. Most office file cabinets use a simple wafer lock, and the lock face or the original key is often stamped with a code. If you can find that code, a new key can be cut from it without touching the cabinet. Check the key itself, the lock face, or the paperwork that came with the furniture.
Don’t force it. A flathead screwdriver in a wafer lock turns a fifteen-minute job into a replacement. Same with pulling on a drawer that’s locked; the rails bend before the lock gives.
Keep one spare, somewhere sensible. One labeled spare in a locked drawer that someone senior can get to. Not taped under the cabinet, not in the cabinet it opens.
Have them keyed alike. If you’ve got six cabinets and six different keys, that’s six chances to lose one. We can rekey them so one key opens the lot, which is usually cheaper than people expect.
When you do get locked out, we can normally pick it open or make a key on site, and replace the lock if it’s worn past saving. It’s a short job.
Locked out of a cabinet, or tired of the key situation? Call 844-644-6539.
