Document 06
Martyn's Law staff briefing sheet template
One page for every member of staff and regular volunteer: you are allowed to act, the three options, what to say, and how to call 999. Each person signs to confirm they have read and understood it.
About the sample
Responsible person: Anchor Inns Ltd trading as The Anchor Inn. Lead contact: Sam Reid, General Manager. Capacity: 320, worked out by method A (fire safety occupancy figure).
Formats
Your version comes as PDF and Word, branded with your venue's name.
What is a staff briefing sheet?
It is a one-page summary of your procedures for the people who would have to carry them out. Most staff and volunteers will never read the full procedures document, and they do not need to. What they need is a short, clear page they can take in quickly and remember under pressure.
What does Martyn's Law expect of staff?
The Act does not require a training course at standard tier. The statutory guidance does expect staff to be aware of the procedures and how to put them into practice. A short briefing, backed by a signed sheet and a log, is a practical way to do that and to show that you have.
Free counter-terrorism awareness e-learning, called ACT Awareness, is also available from ProtectUK for anyone who wants to go further.
What's in the template
- You are allowed to act: if you see an obvious danger, shout, point and move people. The responsible person supports anyone who acts in good faith.
- Three options: get out when the danger is inside, get in when the danger is outside, lock down when an attacker is inside, each with your own assembly point, safe areas and lockable rooms
- What to say, in a few words for each option
- How to call 999: where, what, how many, and what to do if you cannot speak
- What to do next: help anyone who cannot move quickly, stay out until the police say, and tell a manager what you saw
- Who is in charge today, and who the lead contact is
- A signature line
Who uses it, and when
Give it to every new member of staff and every regular volunteer when they start, and go through it again at least once a year. It suits bar staff, stewards, sidespeople, coaches, door staff and committee members alike. Each person signs it, and the briefing is recorded in the log.
How it fits with the other documents
The sheet is a short version of the evacuation, invacuation and lockdown procedures, with the key lines from the communication procedure. Record each briefing in the briefing and review log, and put the wall poster up as a daily reminder.
Questions about this document
Do volunteers need to be briefed as well as paid staff?
Yes. Anyone who would be expected to help carry out the procedures should know them. For churches, halls and clubs, that often means stewards, committee members and regular volunteers.
How should we brief people who change every week?
Keep copies where volunteers arrive, such as the vestry, kitchen or bar, and ask them to read and sign it before their first session. The log shows who has been briefed.
Is a signed sheet enough?
It is a record that someone has read it. Talking it through, showing people the exits and safe rooms, and checking they understand matters more than the signature.
Does Martyn's Law apply to your venue?
Six questions. Free. No account needed.