Martyn’s Law enhanced tier: requirements.

Count visitors, employees, contractors and volunteers in the relevant area at the same time. Use foreseeable peaks rather than daily totals. A nightclub with several expected large nights each year can be enhanced premises even when most nights are quieter.

Check exceptions before relying on the number alone. Qualifying places of worship, schools, childcare settings and further education premises remain standard tier at 800 or more. Universities do not receive that special treatment.

A qualifying event needs all the event criteria: public access, 800 or more people expected at once, checks on payment, tickets, passes, membership or guest status, and no relevant exclusion. It must be outside enhanced premises. Private invitation-only events do not qualify, and events at worship, school, childcare and further education premises are excluded.

Check your tierMartyn’s Law for events

Enhanced duties include the four procedures: evacuation, moving people to a safer place on the premises, lockdown and communication. Consider how these work across entrances, floors, outside areas and different staffing patterns.

For a theatre, the interval may put people in different spaces from the performance. On a matchday, queues and movement around the grounds need attention. These are useful situations to discuss with the people who operate the venue, so procedures reflect real use.

Public protection procedures

Public protection measures must be assessed and kept under review, so far as reasonably practicable. They cover monitoring the premises and immediate vicinity, movement of people, physical safety and security, and security of information.

Examples in the guidance include patrols, CCTV and access control for monitoring; screening, restricted access and barriers for movement; vehicle barriers and anti-shatter film for physical security; and careful publication of plans and IT access controls for information.

These are examples, rather than a universal shopping list. Assess likely effectiveness against cost, time and difficulty. Explain what fits your venue, what is already in place and where changes are justified. Review measures when use, occupancy or layout changes.

• Monitoring: consider how staff notice and communicate relevant information.
• Movement: examine entry, internal routes and exit arrangements.
• Physical security: assess protection around the building and its usable areas.
• Information: consider who can access or publish sensitive operational details.

The required document states the procedures and measures in place or proposed, and assesses how they reduce risk and vulnerability. It is more than a list of equipment. Explain the reasoning that connects your arrangements to the premises or event.

Where measures are deferred, the guidance calls for reasons, plans and interim mitigations to be documented. The document must be sent to the SIA as soon as reasonably practicable after preparation. Revised versions must be sent within 30 days of revision.

The SIA says it will share optional, indicative templates before commencement. Do not assume a template is already available. Keep the document useful to those managing the arrangements, with clear explanations that can be reviewed after changes.

Assessment requirements explained

If the responsible person is an organisation, it must designate a senior individual involved in management or control. Tasks can be delegated, but the designated individual retains responsibility for their role. The organisation remains the responsible person.

Notification includes the senior individual’s details, position and designation date, and confirmation of understanding of the document duties. Qualifying events must be notified within 14 days of first being publicised once the relevant duties apply. Enhanced premises do not notify each individual event held there.

You do not have to buy specialist services. If outside help would be useful, Wardcote offers hands-on enhanced tier support from an experienced team it works with for enhanced venues and events. Our support helps your preparation; responsibility remains with the legally responsible person.

SIA notification guideEnhanced tier support