Martyn’s Law: What Must UK Business Owners Do?
Last edited at 12:40pm on 20/07/2023.
Martyn’s Law: What Must UK Business Owners Do?
As a result of the Manchester Arena attack, some UK businesses are being encouraged to increase their security and ability to provide adequate medical products in the event of similar mass attacks.
Martyn’s Law is legislation that, in Autumn 2023, will require certain businesses to demonstrate reasonable safety measures. Read on to find out if this applies to you and what to do.
What is Martyn’s Law?
The 2017 Manchester Arena attack killed 22 people and left hundreds injured. The magnitude of the attack put enormous pressure on emergency services and hospitals in the region as paramedics and responders tried to help as many casualties as quickly as possible. The care gap produced due to the attack meant that people weren’t getting medical attention as quickly as they needed it.
New anti-terror legislation Martyn’s Law is being implemented to increase security measures in public places and venues going forward.
The legislation named after Martyn Hett, one of the 22 victims killed in the Manchester Arena bombing, goes into effect in Autumn 2023. According to Gov.uk, Martyn’s Law…
“will place a requirement on those responsible for certain venues to consider the threat from terrorism and implement appropriate and proportionate mitigation measures. The legislation will ensure that people are prepared, ready to respond and know what to do in the event of an attack.”
Martyn’s Law is in place to:
- Enhance protection from damage caused by terrorist attacks and offer better civilian first aid assistance.
- Foster preparedness among businesses to deal with the fallout from terrorist attacks and mitigate risks where possible.
- Encourage a positive and proactive cultural change towards preparing for the worst and issue fair sanctions when this is not done.
What is the ‘care gap’?
The care gap is the time between an incident that causes a medical emergency and the arrival of professionals who can treat the casualty immediately. When an emergency occurs, people expect an ambulance to be immediately deployed, arrive in a matter of minutes, and for the casualty to receive medical attention immediately upon arrival.
But when a mass casualty event occurs, there are simply too many casualties and too few paramedics, so some casualties have to wait to be treated. This is when the care gap becomes too large, and further damage or even death can result from a lack of prompt medical intervention.
Who does Martyn’s Law apply to?
Martyn’s Law will apply to your business if you:
- Have a maximum capacity of over 100
- Have a business premises that is open to the public
Certain ‘qualifying activities’ mean businesses fall within the scope of Martyn’s law. These include:
- Entertainment and leisure
- Hospitality, food, and drink
- Sports facilities and grounds
- Visitor and tourist attractions
- Temporary events
- Museums, galleries, and places of interest
- Places of worship
- Education facilities
- Health facilities
There are three tiered levels to the measures businesses need to take in regard to Martyn’s Law. Depending on the size and nature of your business, you will need to put certain steps in place.
Standard Tier
Applies to: | Businesses with a capacity of over 100–799, such as larger stores or bars. |
Measures: | Understand the nature and impact of a terrorist threat on their business. |
Enhanced Tier
Applies to: | Businesses with a capacity of 800 and above, such as live music venues. |
Measures: | Understand the nature and impact of a terrorist threat on their business. |
Business owners should nominate one responsible person to oversee all the measures that apply to them and ensure the business is compliant.
Voluntary Tier
Applies to: | Any business with a capacity of less than 100 but that wants to put measures in place to safeguard against the threat of terrorist attacks. |
Measures: | Understand the nature and impact of a terrorist threat on their business. |
Businesses will be inspected to ensure they’re following the measures that apply to them in their tiers. Inspectors will impose sanctions if any business is found to be lacking in required measures.
How will it affect my business?
The legislation proposes to take steps that will reduce risk and protect the public. It will require venues to adhere to the following measures:
- Increased thorough security checks in publicly accessible locations
- Routine bag searches
- Location vulnerability assessments
- Free counter-terror training and advice for event staff
- Local authority action plans to counter-terrorism
How do I prepare my business for Martyn’s Law?
Public venues and organisations should begin taking action to enhance their security measures now in preparation for a safer environment in line with Martyn’s Law.
Prepare public venues with adequate medical supplies
Check your medical supplies. At the minimum, venues should be equipped with well-stocked workplace first-aid kits which are easily accessible to all members of staff. Trauma bags should also be readily available, containing life-saving bleed control products and trauma equipment. Quick action could save a life.
The best first aid kit you can equip your business with to deal with terrorism threats is a public access first aid (PAcT) kit. This is a kit designed in collaboration with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office and medical experts to aid untrained people in providing first aid to casualties of traumatic injuries before first responders arrive on the scene.
Find out more about the PAcT Kit initiative and what it means for businesses.
Find out everything you need to know about first aid provisions as a business owner in our definitive guide to workplace first aid.
Spread the word
Improving venue security will result from a combined effort from all venue owners, businesses and organisations that hold large events. The public must understand why these new measures will be implemented and the importance of being aware and compliant with the changes.
ProtectUK, the national counter-terrorism and security advice body in the UK, is a government-recommended source of guidance and free training for businesses that want to meet the requirements of Martyn’s Law.
Visit our
Interactive First Aid Guide
Demystify workplace first aid & find out exactly what your business needs.
If you'd like to know more about any of our trauma equipment or first aid supplies, Please enter your details into the form below along with any questions or comments and a member of our team will be happy to provide you with more information:
