How has Martyn’s Law changed Security?

Across the UK, one of the government’s leading priorities is to improve security and safety standards, particularly with regards to terror threats.

As the government works to improve the country’s resilience to terrorism threats, new technologies will play an absolutely pivotal role. Thankfully, not only are security technologies already extremely advanced, but they are evolving constantly, in order to ensure the highest possible security standards, across all sectors and venues.

In this blog post, we’ve provided a detailed breakdown into Martyn’s Law, as a prime example of how the UK government is using these technologies to maximise the level of protection achieved in public places.

What is Martyn’s Law?

The primary purpose of Martyn’s Law is to implement stronger terrorism protections in public spaces.

In fact, this comes as part of a wave of new laws, serving to up-scale protective measures, and ensuring greater preparedness for such attacks.

Martyn’s Law (also formerly known as the Protect Duty) is a law that will ensure public venues have higher safety and security standards, particularly geared towards minimising the risk of terror attacks.

The law was named as a tribute to Martyn Hett, who was one of the 21 people who were tragically killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack.

According to the government, Martyn’s Law is essential because the nature of the terror threat is extremely complex, constantly evolving, and is not likely to go away any time soon. Furthermore, the last few years (with 14 terror attacks occurring in the UK since 2017) have demonstrated that terrorists are deciding to attack a wide range of locations and venue types.

As a result, by making it mandatory for public venues to achieve certain standards of safety and security, this law ensures all venues across the UK have sufficient resilience against this troubling threat.

Within the Bill, the requirements for public premises and events are outlined, and these are made proportionate to each location (based on its capacity size).

The requirements of Martyn’s Law include:

• Ensuring premises are better prepared for the risk of a terrorist attack
• Ensuring staff know what to do if a terrorist attack occurs
• Mandating who in the business is responsible for considering this risk
• Raising security standards
• Mandating a certain minimum level of security procedures

Martyn’s Law will apply to the entire UK, and the legislation will be introduced in the very near future.

How does Martyn’s Law affect businesses?

Martyn’s Law will apply to premises and events businesses across the entire UK.

The Bill’s requirements will vary between different businesses, as the measures have been made proportionate to capacity size, and applicable requirements are dependent on the activities taking place at each venue.

Martyn’s Law will apply to your business if:

• Your premises or event(s) are accessible to the public
• Your premises or event(s) are used for a purpose outlined in the Bill (these include entertainment and leisure, retail, food and drink, amongst others)
• Your premises or event(s) have a capacity of 100 or more

There are also certain provisions in place for temporary events (such as festivals).

The tiered model implemented in Martyn’s Law is as follows:

Standard tier – the requirements for businesses in this tier include notifying the regulator who is responsible for the premises, implementing procedures to follow in the event of a terror attack, providing teams with appropriate training.

Enhanced tier – extra requirements are given to high-capacity venues, and events with a capacity of 800 or more fall under this tier. The requirements for this tier include notifying the Regulator of their premise or event, taking ‘reasonably practicable’ risk reduction measures, maintaining a security document, and appointing a designated senior individual.

The government will also be supporting businesses, helping them to accurately and successfully implement these requirements, by providing support, guidance and training.

Businesses can also use the ProtectUK hub as a trusted, central location for guidance, advice and learning. Its security and counter-terrorism experts have created a free go-to resource for businesses to access the latest protective security information.

What are the benefits of using speed doors, and how do they help businesses comply with Martyn’s Law?

Speed doors are a prime example of a technology that businesses can implement, to quickly and effectively improve their sites’ security standards.

Speed gates (also known as speed doors) are a dependable, secure and user-friendly access control system. They are widely used in premises and events, including everything from stadiums to train stations.

They work by creating a system of electronic panels and barriers. Using sensors and control mechanisms, they require an individual to verify their right to entry, before opening the doors for them.

Speed doors are an essential part of security, as they allow premises to both control and monitor how many people come in and out of the building – which is one of the main areas that has been impacted by Martyn’s Law.

The benefits of using speed gates include:

• Ensuring only authorised individuals enter the premises
• Providing the opportunity to integrate with authentication systems, allowing premises to verify and record the identity of those on the premises
• Raising alarms to alert your team in real-time
• Creating a powerful visual deterrent for potential attackers
• Minimising congestion
• Reducing the need for manual input (allowing your team to focus on other tasks)
• Enabling integration with other security technologies (such as CCTV)
• Ensuring a positive user experience, with an efficient and easy-to-use solution
• Giving your customers greater peace of mind

At Access Innovations, we now supply and fit speed doors in premises across the UK.

With our trusted team of entrance technology specialists, you can ensure your new speed doors achieve the highest security standards for your premises.

To learn more about the requirements of Martyn’s Law, or the benefits that speed gates can unlock for your premises, speak to the Access Innovations team today.