Home Safety Essentials Martyn's Law Compliance

Martyn's Law Compliance

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 is now law. Commonly referred to as ‘Martyn’s Law’, most public premises and events with capacities over 200 are in scope. The law mandates who is responsible for considering risks from terrorist attacks and requires reasonable public protection measures to be taken with regards to security and emergency response, in a similar way to Health &...

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act is now Law. The Act is also known as ‘Martyn’s Law’ in tribute to Martyn Hett, who was tragically killed alongside 21 others in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack.

Martyn’s Law enhances public safety by ensuring better preparedness for, and protection from, terrorist attacks. It mandates, for the first time, who is responsible for considering the risk from a terrorist attack and how they would respond, to reduce harm and save lives.

The scope of premises and events included is very broad and includes retail, hospitality, entertainment, recreation, exhibitions, visitor attractions, education, transport, education, healthcare, places of worship and more. The Bill will establish a tiered model based on the principal activity and having a public capacity of over 200.

An inspection regime will be put in place with full powers of entry into any qualifying location. Regulators will have a range of sanctions to address non-compliance and will be able to impose penalties, including restriction notices or fines of up to £18m or 5% of worldwide revenue.

Compliance shouldn’t be onerous and is designed to sit alongside existing health and safety obligations. Depending on the premises or event – it may simply involve consulting official guidance, conducting a risk assessment, establishing procedures, and providing basic training.

It is vital that your premises have the appropriate infrastructure and equipment to facilitate effective Security and Evacuation plans and procedures. This may include Trauma Kits as per Home Office Guidance, as well as clearly signposting, waymarking, and increasing awareness of the security protocols you have put in place. Doing these simple things is easy, low cost, and could save lives.

Why Should I Comply?

Furthermore, new regulations aside, the UK terror threat level is currently ‘substantial’ – no operator of premises regrets taking simple actions to remind of security and evacuation protocols, increase security awareness, or have life saving provisions available should the worst happen, particularly when they are so low in cost and easy to implement.

Safety/security signage, posters and enhanced first aid provisions are easily attainable and affordable, and are referenced in official home office guidance under ProtectUK and National Counter Terror Security Office (NaCTSO).

What Do I Need To Do To Comply With Martyn’s Law?

Similar to health and safety or fire legislation, appropriate measures for Martyn’s Law compliance will vary depending on the premises and the risks assessed.

However, following official counter terror preparedness guidance from official Home Office sources and ProtectUK and National Counter Terror Security Office (NaCTSO) will put many organisations in good stead as specifics within the legislation develop.

We have made this as simple as possible for all kinds of organisations.

Some examples of simple generic measures that may be appropriate for most premises include:

Establishing clear evacuation or invacuation routes – ensuring they are signposted and waymarked appropriately – see our dedicated ranges of Evacuation Signs
Adding visual reminders of security protocols and contacts to improve awareness and encourage reporting of anything suspicious – see our Security Signs and Security Awareness Posters
Clearly identifying personnel who will "lead" a response, as well as ensuring security staff can be easily identified – our pre-printed hi visibility clothing or workwear is a simple way of doing this
Adopting robust security measures and signposting appropriately to inform those on site – such as CCTV (which legally must be properly signposted), establishing security zones, bag check areas and more – see our CCTV Signs and Security Signs
Creating crisis response "grab" bags which can be easily grabbed in an emergency, containing trauma first aid, but also communication/response plans, registers and other emergency essentials – Incident Grab Bags are recommended for education settings under DfE guidance
Enhancing first aid provisions to include Public Access Trauma (PAcT) Kits or Bleed Control Kits – and ensuring they are signposted properly so they can be found in an emergency. Home Office guidance recommends that all public premises have at least 2 PAcT kits on-site, with more for larger premises, located within a few minutes’ walk of the next one. You can also add key trauma items like tourniquets and trauma dressings to existing kits to keep the cost down but still improve preparedness
Training key staff on security and incident response
Ensuring protocols for logging Security incidents, in the same way as you would for health and safety incidents via an Accident Book – we have created a Security Incident Log Book as a simple solution for this
Ensuring your infrastructure facilitates an existing plan – simple things such as using signage and waymarkers to ensure safe exits, assembly areas, floor levels, lifts and stairs are clearly marked and labelled
Consider other emergency response essentials – such as glow sticks, or triage-systems to help organise casualties in advance of emergency services arriving

Our ranges of product have been specifically designed so organisations of all types can demonstrate compliance with Martyn’s Law ahead of time by doing the simple, affordable and attainable things right, all available in one place, at the best prices.

Even if your organisation is not in scope of Martyn’s Law, implementing these measures and having the basic infrastructure to support them demonstrate good security practice under existing Home Office guidance.

Does Compliance With Martyn’s Law Represent A Significant Cost?

Compliance shouldn’t be punitive or onerous and is designed to sit alongside existing health and safety obligations. Depending on the premises or event – it may simply involve consulting official guidance, conducting/documenting a risk assessment, establishing procedures, investing in the necessary infrastructure to support those procedures, and providing basic training.

Items such as evacuation or security signage cost as little as 50p each. Public Access Trauma Kits are available for less than £60, with only sterile elements needing to be replaced after 4-5 years.

No site operator regrets buying such simple and affordable measures that have the power to reduce harm and save lives in the event of a major incident.

Evacuation & Invacuation Signs

Evacuation is guiding personnel out of a place in the event of an emergency incident. Invacuation is the opposite, directing people to a place of safety where doors could then be locked. This is a key consideration under Martyn’s Law and whether evacuation or invacuation is appropriate will depend on the premises and the risks being considered.

However, in all cases, official guidance states that your infrastructure must support your procedures and emergency response. This includes the need to use signage to identify specific evacuation routes, if required. This could include:

• Dedicated signage to differentiate safe evacuation or invacuation routes from fire exit routes, if appropriate
• Assembly Point signage
• Safe Area signage
• Waymarking
• Stair, Lift and Floor Markers
• Exit & Emergency Signage

Signage should be appropriate based on viewing distance and the circumstances in which it will be read, for example, in an emergency – would you be able to see the signage in low light or if there is no power? Glow In The Dark materials are often the most suitable material choice for emergency signage for exactly this reason.

Proper use of signage also provides a visual demonstration of means taken to meet obligations and are indicative of a professional and well-run site.

Our range has been developed to help organisations clearly signpost evacuation and invacuation plans as part of their obligations under Martyn’s Law, in accordance with official guidance.

Shop Evacuation & Invacuation Signs

Security Signs

Security measures that public premises may need to consider as part of obligations under Martyn’s Law should be properly signposted to ensure those on site are informed. Proper use of signage also provides a visual demonstration of means taken to meet obligations and are indicative of a professional and well-run site.

Our range has been developed to help organisations clearly signpost security measures as part of their obligations under Martyn’s Law, in accordance with official guidance.

Some of the Security Measures which premises may need to implement and properly signpost include:

• CCTV Systems – must legally be signposted as per data protection laws. CCTV signage also helps to ensure dummy CCTV systems are taken seriously.
• Bag Check Areas and Procedures
• Security Zones or Checkpoints
• Restricted Areas
• Metal Detectors
• Reminding of security behaviour and advising of reporting points

Security Awareness Posters & Action Cards

Martyn’s Law requires public premises to take and demonstrate proportionate measures to address security risks. Our posters are simple, affordable, effective and have been expressly designed to help organisations towards demonstrating compliance.

Our range of PREPARE, PROTECT, PREVENT posters provide a simple, affordable and proactive step to improving safety awareness on your premises as part of Counter Terror guidance from ProtectUK, National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NACTSO) and Department for Education (DfE).

Bold designs featuring clear, succinct guidance as well as recommended and recognised protocols such as ‘See, Check and Notify (Scan)’, Hidden, Obviously suspicious, Typical (HOT) and RUN TELL HIDE. They not only promote security awareness but also encourage proactive reporting of any suspicious behaviour.

Choose from generic posters, or posters with write-on areas for you to easily add contact or location details for security staff. The current UK threat level is ‘Substantial’ – meaning an attack is likely. Official guidance states “Posters are both useful reminders of key security principles for all staff and also promote a good security culture in your organisation that will deter someone intending to cause harm from seeing you as an easy target.”

We have also added Action Cards to help organisations with their security training obligations under Martyn’s Law, which incorporate official security advice from ProtectUK and NaCSTO.

Official Counter Terror Guidance

The current UK threat level is ‘Substantial’ – meaning an attack is likely. Official guidance states "Posters are both useful reminders of key security principles for all staff, and also promote a good security culture in your organisation that will deter someone intending to cause harm from seeing you as an easy target."

Official counter terror advice from Protect UK and National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) encourages all public premises to take proportionate measures to maintain good security practice and awareness.

Furthermore, legislation under 'Martyn’s Law' requires public premises to take and demonstrate proportionate measures to address security risks. Our posters are simple, affordable, effective and have been expressly designed to help organisations towards improving security and demonstrating compliance.

Bold designs are combined with clear, succinct and officially recognised protocols

Such as 'See, Check and Notify (Scan)', 'Hidden, Obviously suspicious, Typical (HOT)' and 'RUN TELL HIDE'.

Professional grade durable, tear resistant material with anti-curl edges

Means the poster will last many years of use, unlike basic paper-based posters which will likely fade and tear in busy environments.

Features a 'write-on' space

To add details of who to report suspicious behaviour to, or list details for the security contact on your premises.

Bold, high-quality print signage

Delivers a clear and crisp message using durable UV-stabilised inks.

Personnel Identification

Having personnel responsible for Security and Emergency plans is a key consideration under Martyn’s Law and facilities a swift and cohesive response in the event of an emergency. We’ve pre-printed best-selling hi-vis and workwear with key security and response roles to make this simple and affordable.

Choose from:

• Incident and Security Lead Hi Vis Vests – expressly designed for Schools to meet obligations under DfE guidance
• ‘Emergency Response’ Hi Vis
• ‘Security’ Hi Vis
• ‘Security’ Jackets and Garments
• ‘Staff’ Hi Vis
• ‘Site Manager’ Hi Vis
• ‘Visitor’ Hi Vis

Enhanced First Aid

The goal of Martyn’s law is to save lives and mitigate harm caused by terror attacks. Enhancing first aid provisions with items to treat the type of injuries likely to be sustained in such attacks is vital in achieving this.

ProtectUK recommend that "organisations should undertake an assessment to determine if the current first aid kit, such as workplace first aid kits, are adequate for the treatment of immediate life-threatening injuries". Additionally, the Health and Safety Executive state that risk assessments must "consider the circumstances of your workplace, workforce and the hazards and risks that may be present."

It is recommended that consideration should be given to:

Do they support the treatment of those with major bleeding?
Do they support those who are not breathing as a result of unconsciousness or an obstructed airway, typically after a head injury or cardiac arrest?
Are they able to help more than one injured person?

As such, the official recommendation under Home Office guidance is that all public premises have at least 2 public access trauma kits on site.

Additional supplies to supplement basic first aid provision may include:

Public Access Trauma Kits (PAcT)
Products or Kits to treat major bleeding added to existing supplies, such as Tourniquets, Trauma/Pressure Dressings, Wound Packing, Haemostatic Dressings and Granules
Casualty Stretchers and Evacuation Products
Resuscitation Products such as guedel airways
Defibrillators
Additional items to treat and manage shock, such as foil blankets

It’s important to consider how you would locate life-saving provisions in the event of power loss. That’s why, unlike others on the market, we design our PAcT Kits, Points and Stations to use high quality glow in the dark materials which charge from natural or artificial light – this allows them to be found easily when it matters most – all at no extra cost!