As venue managers and event organisers/professionals, it’s essential to keep up with new legislation such as ‘Martyn’s Law’, a proposed act that will significantly shape venue management practices in order to heighten security against terrorism at UK venues. While the final details of this legislation are still unclear, understanding its potential implications is undoubtedly beneficial. In this article, we will explore key features of the proposed bill and their likely impact on venues and events.
Enhanced Security Requirements:
Martyn’s Law is expected to introduce heightened security responsibilities for venues based on a tiered approach, with requirements for venues holding 100 persons, and ‘enhanced’ requirements for venues accommodating over 800 people. Consequently, most public venues may feel the effect of this legislation. The bill also mentions ‘public events’ that attract over 800 people at non-qualifying venues. This aspect might make established premises more appealing for event organisers or introduce new considerations in the planning of temporary events. It’s worth noting that the bill has enforcement powers for local authorities to inspect, investigate, and penalise breaches. Interestingly, the bill also states that ‘qualifying venues’ could be housed within other qualifying venues, necessitating separate planning and documentation.
Risk Assessments and Mitigation:
While venue owners and operators are already required to complete risk assessments, the proposed legislation suggests an obligation to identify potential vulnerabilities and create response plans in the event of an attack. It also emphasises the importance of effective communication, rapid lockdown or evacuation, immediate assistance to injured individuals, and information provision to emergency services.
Communication:
The first step of the 6 task plan under this proposed law is considering how to communicate incident details and response plans to staff and patrons. It involves leveraging systems like radios, PA systems, codewords, and venue lighting. It is, however, crucial to deliver the information without causing panic or harm.
Lockdown Procedures:
The draft guidance places significant emphasis on locking down the venue quickly to save lives and slow down any attack. Regular inspection of security measures to ensure effectiveness is also proposed, along with staff training for rapid application of these measures.
Evacuation:
Evacuation procedures will undoubtedly come with a variety of crowd management challenges, especially in larger venues. The guidance advises on the separation of fire evacuation procedures from Martyn’s Law evacuation plans, stressing the importance of identifying and communicating danger zones to avoid evacuating towards them.
Contacting Emergency Services:
The draft guidance recommends that venue operators alert emergency services promptly and provide useful information for their response. They should give a clear description of the incident, the number of attackers, their locations, the types of weapons used, the estimated number of casualties, and any compromised access routes.
Use of Available First Aid and Fire Equipment:
In addition to having serviceable first aid and firefighting equipment, venues should consider the addition of ‘Public Access Trauma Kits’ (PAcT) or tourniquets for treating severe bleeding.
Working with Neighbouring Venues:
Lastly, the draft guidance encourages operators to collaborate with neighbouring venues to ensure that their Martyn’s Law plans do not interfere with each other. Shared radio networks like shopsafe and pubwatch can be effective tools for early warning and planning coordination.
Finally, the anticipated Martyn’s Law aims to ensure venues and events have considered and prepared for worst-case scenarios. It’s also important to remember that the legislation is still in draft form and could undergo significant changes before it is enacted. Therefore, any ‘Martyn’s Law Training Courses’ currently available are likely speculative, albeit potentially beneficial.