Martyn’s Law (also known as the Protect Duty) is designed to improve public safety by ensuring venues and events take reasonable, proportionate stepsto reduce the risk of terrorism.
If you’re a local pub, restaurant, bar, hotel, or small venue, the key is simple: know your role, know your plan, and make sure staff can follow it
This duty is about being ready for the “what if” moments — without turning your venue into an airport. It focuses on:
Awarenessof risk in busy public spaces
Simple plansthat staff can follow under pressure
Training and communication, not just paperwork
Proportionate measures that suit your size and setting
Good compliance looks like: calm, simple processes that work on your busiest night — not a binder that only exists for inspections.
Martyn’s Law is expected to apply to publicly accessible venues and events above certain capacity thresholds, with requirements scaled by tier. Many hospitality venues will fall into the entry-level / “Tier 1”expectations.
What most independent venues should assume (Tier 1-style readiness):
You have a basic terrorism risk awareness approach
You can show simple procedures for key scenarios
Staff receive brief, practical training and refreshers
You can demonstrate who is responsible for what, on shift
If you’re unsure where you sit, we can help you sense-check quickly — it’s usually obvious once you look at capacity and how the venue operates.
1) A simple, written plan
A short document that explains how you prevent, respond, and recover — written in a way your team can actually use.
2) Staff briefing + basic training
Not classroom theory — just what staff should notice, what they do first, and how they communicate it.
3) Clear roles on shift
Who makes decisions? Who calls police? Who handles the front door? Who keeps guests calm?
4) Practical procedures for real scenarios
Examples: suspicious behaviour, hostile person at entry, unattended item, threats, evacuation/shelter decisions.
5) A way to prove it’s “live”
A simple record of briefings, training dates, and updates after incidents or near-misses.
Most venues already do parts of this informally — we help you turn it into something clear, defensible, and proportionate.
Too much paperwork, not enough practicality→ simplify to a 2–4 page plan staff can follow
Training is inconsistent→ micro-briefs that fit shift changeovers
Plans don’t match the venue reality→ align to entry points, busy times, layout, and staff levels
Comms breaks under pressure→ short radio/phone scripts and clear escalation
Responsibility is unclear→ assign decision points by role, not by name
This is normal. Hospitality runs on speed and people — we just make sure your safety approach does too.
