If a site feels “fine” in the daytime but uncomfortable after dark, lighting is often the control that’s quietly failing. Not because the lights are off, but because the lighting isn’t doing what people assume it does: helping legitimate users see, be seen, and move confidently through predictable transition points.
A security lighting audit (also commonly searched as a security lighting assessment) is a structured review of how lighting influences safety, security, and incident opportunity. It’s not about making everything brighter. It’s about making visibility more useful.
This matters across Perth and WA because many incidents happen in the same places, for the same reasons:
- people move between zones (car park to entry, entry to lift, path to side gate)
- offenders look for concealment, blind spots, and low guardianship
- staff and visitors avoid spaces that “feel wrong”, even if no incident has occurred yet
A good audit gives you clarity on where the risk is, why it’s happening, and what to do first.
Security Lighting Audit Vs Security Lighting Assessment
Most clients mean the same thing.
In practice, “audit” tends to imply a more formal, documented review with clear priorities and an action plan. “Assessment” is often used as a general term for the same outcome: identifying lighting issues that affect safety and security.
If your goal is improved safety outcomes and a defensible set of recommendations, you can treat these as one service and rank for both terms in a single, strong page.
When A Security Lighting Audit Is Worth Doing
Lighting audits are usually high-return when you’re dealing with either repeat issues or uncertainty about what to fix first.
Common triggers include:
- staff reporting they don’t feel safe walking to cars after hours
- antisocial behaviour concentrating in specific “hot spots”
- theft, damage, break-ins, or intimidation happening at night
- complaints about dark paths, stairwells, underpasses, laneways, or loading areas
- CCTV footage that looks washed out, too dark, or unusable at night
- changes to operating hours, staffing patterns, or site layout
- a new build, refurbishment, or upgrade where security is being “assumed” rather than verified
In Perth, this comes up constantly across councils, universities, shopping centres, health sites, car parks, and industrial facilities.
If people are avoiding areas after dark, that’s already a signal. You don’t need to wait for a major incident to justify a review.
What A Security Lighting Audit Actually Looks At
A security lighting audit isn’t simply a brightness check. It’s a practical, risk-based review of whether lighting supports:
- natural surveillance (people can be seen clearly)
- safe movement (paths and transitions feel predictable and controlled)
- reduced concealment (fewer hiding opportunities)
- incident detection (staff, public, and cameras can observe what matters)
A clean way to think about it is: lighting should help you recognise intent, not just see the ground.
During an audit, these are the areas that usually matter most.
Transition Points (Where Risk Lives)
Many security issues occur in transitions, not in open areas. For example:
- car park to building entry
- lift lobby to corridor
- footpath to side gate
- stairwell entry/exit
- bin areas, service corridors, and loading docks
These are the locations where people are briefly isolated, distracted, or forced into a predictable route. If the lighting is poor here, it increases both vulnerability and fear.
Contrast, Uniformity, And Dark Adaptation
A space can feel “bright” overall and still be unsafe if the contrast is harsh.
If someone walks from a bright area into a darker zone, they can’t see properly for a period of time. That moment is often exactly when a person is most exposed. The goal is smoother, more consistent visibility across the spaces people actually move through.
Glare (Which Can Reduce Safety)
Glare is one of the most common issues on real sites. It reduces a person’s ability to see threats, and it often works against CCTV by causing blow-out or silhouette effects.
If lighting is pointed in ways that create glare into common sightlines, it can actually increase risk even while “looking” bright.
Concealment And Shadow Lines
Shadow lines around landscaping, alcoves, columns, and recessed entries are classic concealment opportunities. Over time, trees and shrubs grow, structures are added, and what used to be a clean sightline becomes a hiding place.
A security lighting audit checks whether lighting is preventing concealment, or accidentally creating it.
Maintenance And Reliability
Lighting that fails frequently, has inconsistent switching, or is damaged by vandalism becomes a security problem even if it was well designed originally.
Typical maintenance issues include:
- failed fittings that stay failed for weeks
- dirty lenses reducing output
- damaged pole bases or exposed wiring
- inconsistent timers and controls (especially after-hours “economy settings”)
- vegetation blocking output
In the real world, maintenance is often the cheapest risk reduction you can buy.
CCTV And Lighting: Why They Must Be Considered Together
If your site uses CCTV, lighting can either help identification or destroy usability.
Common CCTV-and-lighting issues include:
- cameras facing into glare or bright fittings
- strong backlighting that silhouettes faces
- uneven lighting causing dark edges where activity actually occurs
- lights that illuminate the wrong surface (ground) while faces remain unclear
You don’t need to redesign your CCTV system to improve outcomes. Sometimes the fix is as simple as changing light angles, reducing glare, or improving coverage at the specific points where faces need to be visible.
Common Lighting Problems In Perth Sites
Across Perth, the same patterns show up again and again.
You’ll often see:
- bright zones with dark edges
A car park might be well-lit in the centre, but paths to entries, stairwells, or side exits are dim. - lighting that creates silhouette risk
People walking toward an entry are visible, but the area behind them is dark, making it hard to see if someone is nearby. - overgrown vegetation changing the outcome
What worked in year one fails in year three when trees and shrubs block light and create concealment. - service areas treated as “low priority”
Bins, loading docks, and side corridors are common congregation points and common incident locations. - switching and control settings that don’t match real use
Lights drop to low levels at the wrong time, or sections remain off when staff still work late.
These aren’t engineering problems. They’re operational security problems that show up in predictable locations.
What You Should Receive As Deliverables
If you’re paying for a security lighting audit, you should end up with something you can act on and defend internally.
A solid output usually includes:
- a clear summary of key risk locations and why they matter
- a mapped set of priority hot spots (so everyone can “see” the problem quickly)
- recommendations grouped by priority (short, medium, long term)
- quick wins that can be actioned without capital spend
- upgrade options described by outcomes, not brands
Quick wins are often where the immediate value is. These can include:
- trimming vegetation and clearing sightlines
- re-aiming fittings and adjusting angles
- adding shielding to reduce glare
- changing switching schedules to match real after-hours use
- restoring failed fittings and improving inspection routines
The goal is to make it easy for facilities, operations, and leadership to align on what happens next.
Compliance Vs Security Outcomes (And How To Avoid Getting Stuck)
Some sites need a compliance-driven approach, particularly in public areas or road-adjacent contexts where lighting categories and conformance assessment matter. In Australia, road and public space lighting is commonly tied to the AS/NZS 1158 series (where applicable).
But many organisations don’t need an engineering redesign. They need a security outcome:
- reduce incident opportunity
- improve perceptions of safety
- support CPTED
- make CCTV footage usable where it matters most
A practical approach is to combine both sensibly:
- use standards where they apply and where they add defensibility
- keep findings grounded in how the site is actually used after dark
In WA, “Safer Places By Design” includes lighting as a core lever in improving safety outcomes through CPTED-aligned design.
Perth-Specific Factors That Increase Night-Time Risk
Perth has a few realities that make lighting risk more pronounced:
- long winter nights increase exposure during peak usage hours
- coastal environments can accelerate corrosion and reduce fixture lifespan
- car parks, reserves, and laneways often become informal gathering points after hours
- redevelopment changes foot traffic patterns faster than lighting gets updated
These factors are why generic advice rarely works well. Audits need to focus on your site, your users, and your incident patterns.
FAQs
Is A Security Lighting Assessment The Same As A Lighting Audit?
In most cases, yes. People use the terms interchangeably. What matters is whether you receive a clear, prioritised plan that improves safety and reduces opportunity.
Do I Need A Night Inspection?
If your risk is after dark, a night inspection is usually worth it. Daytime reviews often miss glare, contrast issues, and how spaces feel and function at night.
Can Better Lighting Reduce Antisocial Behaviour?
Lighting alone won’t “solve” antisocial behaviour. But it can reduce opportunity, improve natural surveillance, and encourage legitimate use of spaces, which is a key CPTED mechanism.
Does Lighting Help CCTV?
Yes, when it’s designed and maintained to avoid glare and harsh backlighting, and when it supports recognition at the key locations where people move and interact.
Next Step If You’re Considering A Security Lighting Audit In Perth
If you want an audit that’s practical (not theoretical), start by getting clear on four things:
- The top incident types you’re trying to reduce
- The areas staff or visitors avoid after dark
- The transition points people must pass through (entries, lifts, stairwells, paths)
- Whether CCTV footage is usable in those exact locations at night
If you’d like, Smartsec Security Solutions can help you run a vendor-neutral, CPTED-aligned security lighting audit in Perth, with priorities and recommendations that are realistic to implement.
To get started, head to the Contact page and send through a quick outline of your site and your top problem areas: https://smartsecsecurity.com.au/contact-us/
