Guides
Martyn's Law guides for pubs, churches, halls and clubs
Martyn's Law applies in the same way to every covered venue, but what good procedures look like depends on the building and the people in it. These guides explain the law for your type of venue: whether it applies, who is responsible, how to count your numbers, and what evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication mean in practice.
Guides by type of venue
Pubs and bars
The 200-person rule, beer gardens, who holds the duty, and what the four procedures look like behind a bar.
Churches and places of worship
Places of worship are standard tier at any size. What the parochial church council, trustees or committee need to put in place.
Village halls and community centres
The management committee's duties, working with hirers, and procedures for a building with a different team inside every night.
Sports clubs and leisure centres
Clubhouses, pools and sports halls, open-air pitches, junior sessions, and who is responsible for council-run centres.
Shops and retail
Most independent shops are under 200 people and out of scope. How to check, and what to do if yours is over.
How to work out your capacity
The six Home Office methods for working out your expected numbers, with the Home Office's own worked examples.
What each guide covers
Every guide follows the same structure, so you can find what you need quickly. It starts with whether the law applies to your kind of venue and who the responsible person is likely to be. It then explains how to work out your numbers, what each of the four procedures looks like in that setting, and the practical steps to take this month.
The legal position is the same across all of them. At standard tier, the responsible person must notify the Security Industry Authority and have appropriate procedures in place, so far as reasonably practicable. Most venues are standard tier when 200 to 799 people can be expected at once. Places of worship, nurseries, schools and further education colleges are standard tier at any size.
Start with the law
If you are new to Martyn's Law, read Martyn's Law explained first. It covers who the law applies to, the two tiers, what the standard tier requires, penalties and dates. To see whether your type of building is on the list in the Act, read which buildings are covered.
If your venue is not listed here, the principles in the guides still apply. Start with the capacity guide, then see how the ten documents in the pack turn those principles into procedures for your premises.
Not sure whether Martyn's Law applies to your venue?
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