In September 2024, Parliament introduced the terrorism (protection of premises) bill aimed at enhancing readiness and safety against terrorist threats in public spaces, following on from the Manchester Arena attack back in 2017, which claimed the lives of 22 people.
The bill – also known as Martyn’s Law in tribute to Martyn Hett and the others who lost their lives on May 22nd that year – will place new duties on those in charge of venue and public event management, with measures expected to be put in place to support public safety, taking into account venue size and the nature of the event in question.
How will events and security companies have to respond?
To help protect smaller businesses and ensure that unfair demands aren’t placed on them, the government plans to bring in a new tiered system that accounts for occupancy, venue size and event type.
Standard tier
The standard tier applies to venues with a capacity of between 200 and 800 people. If this is where your business sits, you’ll need to bring in processes and procedures that minimise public risks, including staff training so that everyone knows about safe evacuation routes, locking doors, closing shutters and so on in the event of an incident.
Enhanced Tier
Any venues with space for more than 800 people will need to bring in more stringent measures, including hiring more security guards and installing CCTV systems.
Key takeaways
Now’s the time to prepare for Martyn’s Law to be enshrined in legislation, as it’s just reached the reporting stage in the House of Lords. This means it’s about to go for its third reading, where the Lords can make any further amendments before finalising the bill.
Remember that the aim of this bill isn’t to prevent terrorist attacks, but rather to make sure that companies in the security and stewarding sector, among others, are properly prepared to respond in specific circumstances.
Of particular importance will be security training, with a focus on first aid and emergency plans, ensuring that all staff members from the top to the bottom are involved to foster confidence in crisis situations.
You can also use this as an opportunity to drive improvements in security culture right across the board, focusing on event security risk assessments and making sure they’re up to date and working with neighbouring businesses to prioritise local safety and security.
Leverage staffing system management software
You can ensure compliance and make business processes more efficient with technology and software that can streamline the search for people with the appropriate qualifications, as well as driving improvements in recruitment processes in general.
If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with the AXLR8 team today.