Keeping Universities Safe

With a large population of students, staff and visitors, combined with wide spread campuses, university sites are vulnerable to a unique set of risks. These educational institutions often have multiple access points and may have facilities spread across a large campus or even located in different parts of a city. To minimise the risks of anti-social behaviour such as theft and vandalism, universities should ensure their security measures are robust, thorough and consistent.

High Levels of Foot Traffic

Corridors, entrances and common areas are prone to high levels of pedestrian traffic and, as a result, are at increased risk of intrusion and opportunistic theft. A careful combination of perimeter fencing, gates and access control, and surveillance systems can help to organise pedestrians and vehicles, and monitor access. Security solutions help to deter, deny and defend against trespassing by the public or those with malicious intent, and the associated risks. In outdoor areas where controlling movement is more challenging, clearly signposted and well-placed security measures such as CCTV, as well as considered access control plays, a significant role in safeguarding against crime.

Principles of CPTED

In our dedicated blog post on the subject, we discuss the principles of CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design), which is essentially managing natural and built environments to help deter crime, by using urban and architectural design features. These features, such as fencing, gates, pavement treatments, signage, and landscaping express ownership and indicate how a space is designed to be used.

Access Control

With such high footfall, consideration needs to be given to how staff, students and visitors will access campus grounds and buildings. Manual gates are more cost efficient upfront and require less maintenance than automated gates, which is useful in the long run. They do, however, need to be closely monitored when open, and can require other, more expensive measures to be used in tandem to minimise security risks.

While more expensive and requiring more maintenance, automated gates provide more security. Codes, keys, and passes help control who accesses various sites and when, as well as providing a way of tracking movement. Where it is not practical or appropriate for every situation, a well-planned combination of manual and automated gates may be best across the site, with automated gates reserved for high security areas such as medical centres and research labs.

Pedestrian Safety

Even though universities are considered private properties, if their roads are used by the public then these are governed by the Road Traffic Act, which sets a high standard for safety. Universities can take further measures to ensure pedestrian safety by putting additional precautions, for example, pedestrian guardrail alongside pathways and main roads, to reduce the risk of pedestrian and vehicular accidents.

Pedestrian access points should be clearly signposted and be a reasonable distance from university roads and authorised parking areas. Clear pavements in car parks are essential for providing drivers safe access routes between their vehicle and campus grounds.

Noise Reduction around Universities

If noise is a concern along roads and highways, acoustic barriers may be implemented, which also provide increased privacy with their solid construction. Acoustic barriers must be UKCA/CE marked as a whole system for road noise reduction.

Open Plan

A growing tendency towards open plan designs simultaneously makes university campuses appear more welcoming and increases security risks, whether through less fencing or fewer gates and other perimeter security measures. A robust, multi-faceted security plan, designed around the 5 Ds of perimeter security, can minimise these risks, including fencing and gates with high visibility, which, in tandem with CCTV and other monitoring systems can deter, deny and delay unwanted visitors, without being overly austere or appearing fortified.

A lesson in university security fencing: Canterbury Christ Church

A new building, opened in May 2023, is home to the university's Kent and Medway Engineering, Design, Growth and Enterprise (EDGE) Hub and new courses in Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Product Design and Software Engineering.

To provide security and access control around the new areas of the campus, vertical bar fencing and gates were specified, offering high visibility and a strong, smart aesthetic.

University Case Study