If you’ve had an eye on the news over the last few months, you may well be wondering how the requirements of Martyn’s Law will affect your business premises.
On the 12th September 2024, the Martyn’s Law bill was introduced to parliament and is currently undergoing parliamentary scrutiny.
But what exactly is this bill, and how can your business meet the requirements of Martyn’s Law?
What is Martyn’s Law?
Martyn’s Law is another name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, which will ensure higher levels of protection from terrorist attacks at public venues.
It is named in tribute to Martyn Hett who was tragically killed, alongside 31 others, at the Manchester Arena attack in 2017, and the bill has been formed partially in response to inquest recommendations from this attack.
The new legislation places a new duty onto those responsible for premises and public events. Until now, public transport and sports premises have been under legislation to protect the public from terrorism, but all other sectors have been under a voluntary approach.
When this bill is passed, the requirements of Martyn’s Law will place a legal onus upon those running public premises and events to take action to increase public safety in locations with a capacity of 100 people or more.
Who will be required to make changes?
Those running public premises and events to which the public have access will come under the requirements of Martyn’s Law.
These premises include sectors such as:
- Shops and services
- Food and drink
- Nightclubs
- Entertainment
- Sports grounds
- Recreation, exercise and leisure
- Libraries, museums and galleries
- Exhibition spaces
- Hotels and other accommodation
- Places of worship
- Healthcare
- Transport (where existing regulations are not already in place)
- Education
- Public authorities
There will be a standard tier of requirements placed upon premises and events with a capacity of 100-799 people at any one time, whilst those with over 800 people will be subject to enhanced regulations.
What does your business need to do to meet the requirements of Martyn’s Law?
As you can see from the list above, almost all businesses with public premises will be required to make changes to comply with the requirements of Martyn’s Law.
But what are these requirements, and when will they come into motion?
What is the timescale?
At present, Ministers are considering the reforms stated in the draft legislation and we are unsure how long this period of parliamentary scrutiny will last.
Once the bill has been agreed and Martyn’s Law passed, all owners of public premises or those running events will be legally required to adhere to the changes laid out.
The requirements of Martyn’s Law for premises
It is not yet completely clear what the requirements upon businesses and other.
stakeholders will be in order to comply with the bill.
The Home Office’s Martyn’s Law Factsheet states that for smaller venues, the legislation will be focused around having appropriate procedures in place to prepare for an attack, for example a risk assessment being undertaken, staff being briefed on evacuation procedures, and measures taken such as securing the windows of their property.
For larger premises and events, requirements are based on ‘reasonably practicable public protection procedures and measures’, such as the installation of CCTV or employing security staff.
The bill’s guidelines are focused on not placing an undue burden on business owners, and state that the solutions should be low-cost, however there is bound to be an impact upon those who require changes to their staffing and premises.
A cost-effective solution: Bomb Blast Window Films
Sureguard Window Films® are proud to supply and install Anti-Shatter Bomb Blast Window Films, a cost-effective and easy way to provide protection to the public in the event of a terrorist attack.
In the event of a bomb blast, many of the injuries sustained are from the effects of the blast rather than the explosion itself; modern buildings are designed with a large proportion of glass and glazing, meaning that flying glass causes lots of injuries when these panes shatter.
By installing a Bomb Blast Window Film, you can prevent glass shards from doors, windows or partitions from causing injury.
The Anti-Shatter Window Film strengthens glass panes, increasing the base level of force required for it to break, and also holds broken shards of glass in place in the event of breakage, preventing the risk of flying glass and the associated injuries.
The installation of our Bomb Blast Window Film will protect the public and your staff from glass-related injuries and is an easy and cost-effective step for businesses to take in order to act in line with the requirements of Martyn’s Law.
Tailor our Window Films to the needs of your business
You may be wondering how the installation of bomb blast Window Film would affect the look of your premises.
Sureguard Window Films® are totally customisable, so whilst our standard Window Films are crystal-clear, you can also choose to add a tint, frosting or even detailed designs if you would like to tie the Window Film in with the branding of your company.
In terms of the security requirements too, you can specify the thickness of your Bomb Blast Window Film starting from 175 microns, in order to provide for the level of protection you require.
It is a sobering thought that the increasing risks of the world we live in are now placing the safety of those around us into our hands, but by bringing your business into line with the requirements of Martyn’s Law you can play your part in ensuring public safety whatever may be around the corner.
If you would like to take steps to protect the public and your staff, and improve the safety of your building, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact us here to discuss how we can help you to bring your premises up to the requirements of Martyn’s Law and make a positive step towards public security.
