Martyn's Law lockdown procedure: a plain-English guide and template

What does lockdown mean?

The statutory guidance describes lockdown as securing the premises to prevent people entering or leaving, for example by locking doors. The idea is to put barriers between people and a threat, buying time until the police arrive.

You'll often hear the term dynamic lockdown: the ability to secure a building quickly, in response to something happening, using the doors, gates and shutters you already have. That's what most venues need.

When would you lock down?

• There's a report of an attacker nearby, or someone armed outside
• You've invacuated people from a beer garden or car park and need to keep a threat out
• The police or emergency services tell you to
• Someone behaving in a threatening way is trying to get in

Lockdown is often combined with invacuation (bringing people in first) and always with communication (warning people and calling 999). See what is invacuation?

Lockdown procedure template

Copy this structure and fill in the details for your building. Keep it to one page.

1. Who can call a lockdown

"The duty manager, or the most senior member of staff present. Any member of staff can start a lockdown if there's an immediate threat."

2. How staff are told

"The code phrase is [your phrase], passed on by [radio / shouting to the kitchen / phone]." Pick something that won't alarm customers but that every member of staff will recognise.

3. Doors and gates to lock, and who does it

4. Where people go inside

"Move customers away from windows and glass doors, into [the back bar / cellar corridor / function room]. Close internal doors. Ask people to stay quiet and put phones on silent."

5. Calling for help

"[Role] calls 999, gives the address [full address and postcode] and what's happening, and stays on the line if safe."

6. People who need help

"[Role] makes sure anyone with mobility, sight or hearing needs, and any children, are helped to the safe area and stay with someone."

7. Ending the lockdown

"Only unlock when the police tell you it's safe. Don't let anyone in or out until then, unless staying would be more dangerous (for example, a fire)."

Thinking about fire safety

Lockdown has to work alongside your fire safety arrangements. Never permanently lock or block fire exits. In a lockdown, doors are secured from the inside to stop people coming in, and staff must still be able to get everyone out quickly if there's a fire or the situation changes. If you're unsure how a lock affects a fire exit, speak to whoever does your fire risk assessment.

Making lockdown work for your venue

Pubs and bars

Think about the garden, smoking area and car park first: get people in, then lock the gate and doors. Keep a key for every lock in one known place behind the bar. See Martyn's Law for pubs.

Village halls

Most events are run by hirers, so your lockdown steps need to be on the hirer briefing card, with clear instructions on which doors lock and where the keys are. See Martyn's Law for village halls.

Sports clubs

Clubhouses often have lots of doors and visitors spread across pitches. Decide whether people outside should come into the clubhouse (invacuation) or move away from it, and who covers each door. See Martyn's Law for sports clubs.

Common lockdown mistakes

• Not knowing where the keys are, or only one person having them
• Forgetting the back door, the cellar hatch or the function room's outside door
• Choosing a safe area with large windows
• Staff on a quiet shift not knowing the plan
• Unlocking too early because someone outside asks to come in

Keep it practised

A plan only works if people remember it. Run a 10 to 15-minute talk-through with your team every few months: walk the doors, check the keys, and ask "what would you do if…?". Record who took part. New starters should read the procedure on their first shift.