Mike Hobbs, Product Specification and Solutions Manager at Apollo Fire Detectors, outlines vital security measures for public venues following Martyn’s Law
Martyn’s Law, formally known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, introduced in response to the Manchester Arena attack in 2017, represents a significant shift in how public and commercial property is expected to manage safety and security risks.
This article will outline the key principles of Martyn’s Law and explore what it means in practice for building management, emergency procedures and evacuation planning.
What does Martyn’s Law do?
The aim of the law is to ensure that people responsible for certain buildings can manage the movement and safety of anyone inside if there is a terrorist incident or any other serious situation, such as civil unrest or violence.
It recognises that in these cases, a typical fire evacuation might not be the right response.
The person or organisation in control of a building must be able to direct people clearly and safely, whether that means getting them out (evacuation), moving them to a safer area inside (invacuation) or keeping them in place (lockdown).
What a site needs will depend entirely on its type and use, as schools, colleges, entertainment venues, political offices and other sites will all have different requirements.
What falls within the scope of Martyn’s Law?
Not every building will need an electronic system, but every building must have a plan for how people will be moved in an emergency.
Premises that satisfy the following four criteria fall within scope of the Act:
- It has at least one building
- It is mainly used for a public-facing purpose such as retail, hospitality or sports
- It can reasonably expect 200 or more people to be present at one time
- Or it is a qualifying ticketed public event expecting 800+ people
Typical sites might include:
- Schools and colleges
- Theatres and cinemas
- Stadiums
- Sports halls
- Hotels and restaurants
- Shopping malls
- Places of worship
- Hospitals
What needs to be implemented and who’s in charge?
There needs to be agreement with the emergency services about who is in charge during an incident.
Whether it be a senior fire officer or senior police officer taking command, they will expect to see a clear plan in place.
How will emergency procedures be activated?
What a site needs to do to activate its emergency procedures will vary.
Factors that influence the plan include:
• The size of the building
• How many buildings are on the site
• How many people use the building
This should be assessed alongside the existing Fire Risk Assessment (FRA), which should help shape a workable and practical strategy.
Steve Dilloway, Veritas Fire Support Services, says of the Act: “Martyn’s Law is about realistic preparedness, not creating unnecessary complexity.
What this guidance sets out well is the importance of having a clear, rehearsed plan that allows people to be moved safely – whether that’s evacuation, invacuation or lockdown – depending on the nature of the incident.
“From a Risk Assessment perspective, we are looking for proportionate, well‑considered measures that work alongside existing fire safety arrangements and put people’s safety first.”
How will it work alongside existing fire detection and alarm systems?
Most sites already have fire detection and alarm (FD&A) systems and many of these could be adapted to support the new requirements.
Because there is no formal standard yet for Martyn’s Law or terrorism‑related systems (at the time of writing BSI are looking at a proposal for a new British Standard to cover “Audio systems for emergency communication”), it is likely that standard FD&A equipment, modified to suit the purpose, may be used.
The lack of a dedicated accreditation for terrorism‑related functions shouldn’t be viewed as a problem.
If the equipment is certified for fire use, it can generally be adapted safely for this.
What may not be appropriate in most cases is installing an entirely separate system just for this purpose.
Running a second system alongside the fire alarm would be costly and unnecessary, especially where budgets are tight.
A modified FD&A system is likely to be acceptable in most cases.
How to plan for success
1. Assess the building and people in it
The assessment of the building and the people in it is vital for success.
This must consider numbers of occupants, disabilities and the specific safety issues on the site.
Systems must work together where needed.
2. Staff training is also vital for success
The starting point for any proposal should be understanding what staff need to do and how they will be trained to respond.
Training should be at the centre of everything.
3. Use of technology
Technology can help to control and manage an incident, but it’s important the information provided is clear and accessible.
Voice sounders, for example, may not work well where language barriers exist or where people have impairments that make loud or sudden noises difficult to cope with.
4. Accessibility and Inclusivity
Disability considerations will be a major part of planning.
Some disabilities may not be immediately obvious, and some conditions, such as autism or PTSD, can be affected by noise or confusion.
The plan must consider all special needs provisions for anyone using the building.
This is why using a third-party certified risk assessor is recommended.
Their expertise is in identifying what might be missing rather than just the obvious issues.
5. Infrastructure improvements
In some cases, improvements to fire doors or compartmentation may be needed to create a “safe area”.
For example, upgrading from FD30 to FD60 doors may offer better physical protection, not just improved fire resistance.
Access control, movement through the building and both internal and external CCTV should also be considered.
A related point linked to fire risk assessments is to ensure that any outside storage doesn’t increase the risk of arson or allow someone to create a fire that distracts the emergency services and increases the danger to first responders.
Successful protection systems
Using existing protection systems is usually the best and most cost‑effective option.
A thorough review involving all stakeholders – looking at fire and security arrangements together – is essential.
Above all, staff training is the most important element.
Training must remain flexible, reviewed regularly and updated whenever anything changes, such as building layout, occupancy or fire safety requirements.
Martyn’s Law places a clear responsibility on those in control of premises to manage risk and plan effective responses to emergencies.
By strengthening expectations around building control and evacuation, the legislation aims to improve preparedness and protect occupants should an incident occur.
Martyn’s Law represents a shift towards joined‑up thinking between fire safety, security and building management.
As this article highlights, the most effective approach is often to adapt and enhance existing fire detection and alarm systems rather than install separate, standalone solutions.
Combined with strong staff training and inclusive planning, this delivers a practical and cost‑effective way for organisations to meet their responsibilities.
Want to know more? Get in touch with us on martynslaw@apollo-fire.com