How to comply with Martyn’s Law.

Identify the building, associated land and main use. Qualifying premises must meet all the premises tests, including a listed use, an expectation of at least 200 people at once from time to time, and no relevant exclusion.

Count employees, contractors and volunteers in the relevant use area as well as visitors. Use predictable peaks rather than averages or daily footfall. Include a pub’s beer garden where it forms part of the premises, and consider regular large hall bookings rather than only quiet weekdays.

Standard tier normally covers 200–799 people and enhanced tier 800 or more. Qualifying worship, school, childcare and further education premises remain standard tier even above 800. If you organise events, check the separate qualifying event criteria.

Check your tierCounting people guide

The responsible person is determined by legal control connected with the premises’ use. It is often an organisation, rather than the manager who opens the doors. For schools, the Act identifies the governing body, or the proprietor where there is no governing body.

Write down who you believe holds that control and check it against the guidance. This is a practical preparation note, rather than a new document duty. Where several responsible persons exist, they must co-ordinate.

Ordinary venue hire does not transfer the operator’s responsibility to the hirer. Agree how hirers receive procedures and carry out relevant arrangements. A qualifying event can create separate responsibility for the event controller.

Responsible person guide

Consider evacuation, moving people to a safer place inside, lockdown and communication. Your procedures must be appropriate so far as reasonably practicable, weighing benefit against cost, time and difficulty.

Walk through the venue with people who know its daily operation. Discuss a busy service, assembly, performance or evening booking. Ask who would decide what to do, how instructions would reach people and whether the arrangements work with the staff or volunteers actually present.

Do not simply copy the fire evacuation plan. Guidance says protection evacuation arrangements should differ, including avoiding reliance on a single assembly point. No one has to put themselves at risk to carry out a procedure.

Public protection procedures

Communicate procedures to employees, volunteers, contractors and hirers. People with roles must understand those roles and have the tools to act. Include casual workers, new volunteers and the people covering different shifts.

There is no statutory training requirement. Free awareness learning, practice and periodic review are good practice. A short discussion of a realistic situation can help reveal an unclear instruction before you rely on it.

At standard tier, recording procedures is recommended but not legally required. A formal risk assessment is not required either. If you keep notes, make them useful: describe decisions, roles and reasons for any procedure not adopted.

Standard-tier checklist

Prepare the responsible organisation’s details, premises address and use, relevant licences, greatest expected attendance and calculation method. Check who has authority to submit and whether other parties have control or co-ordination duties.

Premises already in scope must notify within three months of commencement. Afterwards, becoming or ceasing to be responsible, and changes, have 28-day notification periods. The portal is not yet live. There is no SIA notification fee.

Wardcote’s standard-tier software covers optional support for procedures, staff and volunteer briefings, records and notification preparation. The law does not require you to buy software or specialist services.

SIA notification guideWardcote’s standard-tier software

Enhanced premises and qualifying events also need assessed protection measures and a compliance document. Organisations must designate a senior individual. The document explains procedures and measures and assesses their contribution to reducing risk and vulnerability.

Follow the enhanced guide before making purchasing decisions. Wardcote offers hands-on enhanced tier support from an experienced team it works with if you would find outside support useful.

Enhanced-tier requirementsEnhanced tier support