As the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, commonly known as Martyn’s Law, is predicted to eventually become law, it’s crucial for businesses across retail, hospitality, and entertainment sectors to understand how this legislation will affect them. This article provides an overview of Martyn’s Law, the anticipated changes it will bring, and the steps businesses should take to comply with the new regulations.

What is Martyn’s Law and the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill?

In response to the Manchester Arena terror attack in 2017 specifically, a team led by the mother of one of the young people (Martyn Hett, who lost his life that day) has been campaigning to bring a new law through Parliament. This legislation aims to enhance safety and preparedness for potential terrorist attacks at publicly accessible venues of a certain size, which could easily include many, if not most, retail, entertainment and hospitality locations.

The proposed bill will require venues to implement certain security measures, depending on their size and the nature of the events they host. 

The most up-to-date information can be found on the UK Government’s Martyn’s Law Factsheet.

What are the key details I need to know?

Impacting a wide range of publicly accessible locations, Martyn’s law is set to include: 

• Entertainment and leisure venues
• Retail establishments
• Restaurants, bars, and other food and drink venues
• Museums, galleries, and sports grounds
• Public areas within government buildings such as Town Halls
• Visitor attractions
• Places of worship
• Health and educational institutions
• Temporary event venues 

There are also two Tiers based on the capacity of the venues, thusly: 

• Standard Tier: venues with a capacity between 100 to 799 people.
• Enhanced Tier: venues that can hold 800 or more people, or those hosting public events that exceed this threshold.

The requirements differ for each tier, with enhanced-tier venues needing to implement more comprehensive security measures. This approach aims to ensure a proportional response that takes into account both the size of the venue and its potential risk level – so that all venues are expected to take only the most appropriate steps to suit their space and audience.

What is the goal of Martyn’s Law?

Put simply, the goal is to reduce harm and prevent the loss of lives through appropriate staff training, and full awareness of each specific venue’s preparedness plan. 

What will venues be expected to do?

We have pulled together the currently proposed key requirements into this list below:

• Terrorism Evaluation:
  Venues will be required to conduct a terrorism risk evaluation. This document must assess potential risks, the likelihood of various types of attacks, and the measures in place to prevent or mitigate harm. Regular updates will be necessary, especially if there are significant changes to the venue’s structure or usage. 

• Training and Awareness:
  All employees will need to be informed of their responsibilities in case of a terror threat. Although full training may not be mandatory for all staff, there should be a general awareness of evacuation processes, invacuation (bringing people to safety inside the venue), lockdown procedures, and communication protocols. Some companies may wish to offer more extensive training on an opt-in basis or for specific roles so that there are enough people training in more than just the basics in every venue in multi-location companies. 

• Event Notification:
  Venues are expected to inform the relevant authorities about upcoming events as soon as they become public knowledge. This allows for a coordinated response all around and ensures that all parties involved are prepared.

One of the most important aspects to be aware of is that this preparedness is not just for ticketed events, this is for all situations where the capacity of a venue is capable of breaching 100 people. 

Businesses in retail, hospitality, and entertainment will be most affected, as they often host large numbers of people in publicly accessible spaces. Approximately 65% of venues likely to be impacted fall within these sectors. To comply with the new legislation, businesses will need to reassess their current health and safety protocols to incorporate these new requirements.

The Benefits of Compliance

While compliance will require effort, it also offers several benefits:

• Enhanced Safety: by getting ahead of the introduction of Martyn’s Law, businesses will be able to identify potential security risks and take proactive steps to mitigate them. This can prevent harm and save lives of both employees and the general public. 
• Increased Employee and Customer Confidence: By demonstrating a commitment to safety, businesses can foster a sense of security among employees and patrons alike. This can be particularly beneficial for customer-facing sectors such as retail and hospitality.
• Financial Penalties: Businesses that fail to comply may face fines, making it all the more important to prioritise these changes before they are necessary.

Where we think Inform People can help you prepare

As the legislation is still in draft form, businesses like yours have time to prepare. The government will also continue to conduct extensive consultations to fine-tune the law’s provisions and provide guidance on how to comply. 

• Conduct an initial Terrorism Evaluation and schedule regular additional checks.
  Alongside the potential to run ad-hoc audits of one-off events that need to take additional precautions. Review your venue’s layout, operations, and current security measures in-line with the regulations. Inform People are in the process of writing our own Off-the-Shelf venue-check audit for both a first assessment and ongoing checks – these will be available in-line with additional updates from the Government as Martyn’s Law progresses. 
• Designate a Responsible Person per venue:
  this individual will oversee compliance efforts and ensure that all necessary protocols are in place. On the Virtual PA it is easy to mark employees with their Special Characteristics and run Insight Reports to easily identify where there are locations, nationally, that still need a Responsible Person assigned. 
• Review, Update and Communicate Safety Protocols:
  Existing emergency plans should be updated to include new requirements for evacuation, invacuation, and lockdown procedures. Then use a Knowledge Share or Course to disseminate the new policies and get buy-in and sign off from all personnel. 
• Train Staff on Emergency Procedures:
  Ensure that all employees understand their role during an emergency, and consider more comprehensive training for key personnel. Run in-person or online Events and track attendance and any Pass/Fail rates with central live reporting. 
• Stay Informed:
  Even once the law is officially passed there may be updates from the government to keep an eye on. Clients of Inform People and rely on our close client relationships to work with you and your teams to keep your training, audits and system notifications up-to-date. 

Martyn’s Law represents a significant step forward in protecting the public from the threat of terrorism. By understanding the requirements and taking proactive steps to comply, businesses can help ensure the safety of their venues while building trust with their customers and employees.

If you are wondering how Inform People could fit into your multi-location Retail, Hospitality, or Entertainment business – either in relation to Martyn’s Law or otherwise – please get in touch in the way you feel most comfortable: via email, or by calling: +44 (0)161 713 4104