Our cities never truly sleep. While many people are home for the night, countless workers are still on the job - nurses, cleaners, fast-food employees, hotel staff, and many others who keep our cities running 24/7. But when the shift ends, their journey home can be one of the most dangerous parts of the day.
Staff, particularly those working late at night, often face significant risks when leaving their workplace to reach their car, a pickup point, or public transport. The problem is compounded by many businesses needing to close their main entrances after hours, leaving staff to exit through side or rear doors. These areas are often poorly lit, lack surveillance, and may have visual obstructions or hiding spots created by buildings and vegetation. In many cases, staff parking is located further away from the premises, requiring workers to walk alone through unsafe areas.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
In recent years, workplace violence has been on the rise. There has been a 56% increase in serious workplace violence incidents since 2017–18, with assault-related claims steadily growing (Lockton Global). Ensuring safe paths of travel for staff isn't just a courtesy—it's an essential responsibility for employers.
Using Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, businesses can identify, assess, and improve workplace exit routes, making them safer for everyone.
CPTED Strategies for Existing Premises
If your workplace is already built, your options may seem limited, but there are still many ways to improve safety. The key is to assess, plan, and implement practical solutions.
Step 1: Identify How Staff Leave the Premises
Do staff leave alone or in groups?
Where are they walking to - parking, a rideshare pickup, or public transport?
Are there situations that might increase risks, such as events or incidents at work?
If a plan is already in place, the next step is to assess the travel path. If there isn't a plan, then it's never too late to develop and implement one.
Step 2: Walk the Travel Path and Identify Risks
This step involves walking and experiencing the path of travel. This should be done during the day, at night, and with staff. Talking with staff can help understand their fears and concerns, and what they have encountered. For example, staff can encounter angry customers who may have waited for their shift to end.
When assessing the travel path, consider the following:
Hiding Spots: Are there alcoves or recesses where someone could hide? These places can also be 'entrapment pockets' where a person can be held against their will. These do not have to be big spaces and can still be next to busy walkways.
Poor Lighting: Are shadows being cast by buildings or vegetation? We often think of lighting as an illuminator but it is also a shadowmaker. The juxtaposition of lighting, buildings and vegetation can create these shadows.
Access Control: Can the public access the entire path, or can parts be restricted? Avoiding public access to the Work Safe Travel Path is a powerful tool in making spaces safer, as well as feeling safer.
Signs of Disorder: Is there graffiti or rubbish? If so, this can signal that the space is being used for unwanted activities. This means that staff could encounter that activity along the way, which could lead to an incident or heightened fears.
Step 3: Implement Solutions
Once the risks have been identified and a plan is put in place, it is time to implement. Implementation could include:
Modify Landscaping: Trim overgrown vegetation and eliminate recesses where possible. Plant new plants to eliminate hiding spots, but remember that advanced tree and plant stock will be needed, otherwise, it remains a concealment and entrapment pocket.
Improve Lighting: Ensure adequate illumination while minimising glare and shadows. You might need a lighting consultant and supplier to provide advice.
Enhance Surveillance: Increase natural surveillance by positioning cameras or adjusting sightlines. Ensure that vegetation, signage or the building are not blocking camera sightlines.
Maintain the Space: Regularly clean up graffiti and rubbish to improve perceptions of safety.
Secure the travel path: Secure the travel path if possible to reduce the area that staff need to walk with public access.
If your staff need to leave the grounds and use the street to access their car or catch public transport, you may identify locations where improvements are required, but they are on private property. While you can't make changes yourself, you can talk to your neighbours or the Council about making the public and private domain safer. Having a good relationship with your community is a strong part of CPTED. Working groups and neighbourhood watch allow everyone to report what they observe and discuss strategies to make the area safer.
If the travel path is still unsafe after these improvements, develop a formal plan that ensures staff leave together or have access to a security escort when necessary.
CPTED Strategies for New Developments
If a workplace is still in the design phase, there is a major opportunity to integrate safety from the start. This is safer for your staff, your customers and the community, but it is also more cost-effective. Alterations years later to address unsafe design approaches can be expensive to fix.
Key Considerations for Safe Design
When designing a new development, there are many requirements, including building codes, legislative requirements, client needs and desires. Work Safe Travel Path considerations for a new development include:
Entry and Exit Locations: Staff exit doors should be well-lit, and highly visible.
Pathway Design: Travel paths should be direct, not meandering, well-lit, and free of hiding spots.
Staff Parking Placement: Dedicated parking should be close to the building and clearly designated. Staff are just as important as customers and should not be relegated to out of the way locations.
Surveillance Integration: Natural sightlines, CCTV, and well-placed lighting should support visibility.
Maintenance Plans: Safety measures should be included in a Plan of Management to ensure ongoing upkeep.
Prioritising Staff Safety
The safety of workplace exit routes should not be an afterthought. By applying CPTED principles, businesses can reduce risks, improve security, and create a workplace where staff feel valued and protected.
Whether working with an existing premises or designing a new development, investing in safe travel paths is an investment in employee well-being and business resilience.
Does your workplace have a staff travel plan in place? If not, now is the time to start the conversation. We can assist you in undertaking an audit of your staffs travel paths and see what can be improved.
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