Martyn's Law procedures template: evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication

What the law asks for

If your venue is in scope, you must have appropriate public protection procedures in place, so far as is reasonably practicable. They're the actions your staff would take to reduce the risk of harm if there was an attack at, or near, your venue. There are four:

• Evacuation: getting people out and away from danger.
• Invacuation: moving people to a safer place inside.
• Lockdown: securing the building to stop people getting in or moving through.
• Communication: warning, instructing and updating people, and calling for help.

The guidance says it's good practice to write even the simplest procedures down, but a written plan isn't enough on its own: staff must be able to carry it out quickly and effectively.

Before you start: the basics

Gather these first. They go at the top of your plan:

• Venue name, full address and postcode (for 999 calls)
• Your number and tier, with the date you worked it out. See does Martyn's Law apply to my venue?
• The responsible person, and the role in charge on each shift
• A simple floor plan: entrances, exits, the garden, safe areas, where the keys are

Template 1: Evacuation

Your fire evacuation plan is a good start, but think about a threat rather than a fire: people need to move away from the danger, which might mean avoiding your usual exit or assembly point.

Write down

• Who decides to evacuate (a role, such as the duty manager)
• Every exit, and which to avoid depending on where the danger is
• At least two places to gather, well away from the building, in different directions
• Who helps people with mobility, sight or hearing needs, and children
• Who checks toilets, the function room, the garden and the cellar

Example (pub)

"The duty manager calls the evacuation. Staff direct customers away from the danger using the nearest safe exit. If the danger is at the front, use the garden gate onto Mill Lane. Gather at the church car park, or if that isn't safe, the village hall car park. Kitchen staff check the toilets and function room. The manager takes the staff rota to check everyone's out."

Template 2: Invacuation

Write down

• Who decides to invacuate
• Which entrances you bring people in through
• Your safest areas inside: solid walls, away from glass, doors that close
• How you clear outside areas: the garden, smoking area and car park

Example (village hall)

"The person in charge of the event brings everyone inside through the side door, closes the main doors and moves people into the main hall, away from the windows onto the road. Children stay with their adults."

More detail and examples: what is invacuation?

Template 3: Lockdown

Write down

• Who can call a lockdown (and that anyone can start it if there's an immediate threat)
• The code word or phrase staff use
• Every door, gate and hatch to secure, who does each one, and where the keys are
• Where people go and what they do: away from windows, quiet, phones on silent
• That fire exits must still allow everyone out if the situation changes
• That you only end the lockdown when the police say it's safe

Full template: lockdown procedure guide.

Template 4: Communication

Communication runs through every scenario. It covers warning people, giving clear instructions, calling for help and keeping people updated.

Write down

• How staff alert each other: a code phrase, radios, phone, or a member of staff going room to room
• How you instruct customers: calm, short, clear words ("Please move inside to the back bar now")
• Who calls 999, and what they say: the address and postcode, what's happening, how many people, any injuries
• How you keep people updated, and who talks to the police when they arrive
• What you'll do afterwards: who contacts staff, the owner or pub company

Example script for 999

"Police. I'm at [venue name], [full address and postcode]. There's [what you can see]. We have about [number] people inside and we've [locked the doors / moved inside]. [Any injuries]."

Don't forget: people who need help

Every procedure should say who helps anyone with mobility, sight or hearing needs, anyone who's distressed, and children. Name a role on each shift.

Making it stick: staff, practice and review

Make sure staff know it

Every member of staff, including part-timers, glass collectors, kitchen staff and volunteers, should read the plan and know their role. Keep a simple record of who has read it and when. New starters should read it on their first shift.

Practise

A 10 to 15-minute talk-through every few months makes a big difference: walk the exits, check the keys, and ask "what would you do if…?".

Free training

ProtectUK's free ACT Awareness e-learning is a useful extra for staff. It's general awareness, so it sits alongside your own procedures rather than replacing them.

Review

Check the plan every year, and whenever something changes: a new manager, a new garden, a refit, new events or a change to your doors.

Hire out rooms? Brief your hirers

If you hire out a hall or function room, you normally stay the responsible person. Give hirers a short briefing card with your exits, safe areas, which doors lock and where the keys are, and how to call 999. Set out what you expect in your hire terms.

Want it done for you?

VenuePlan walks you through all four procedures with suggested answers written for your type of venue, gets every member of staff to sign them off by text or QR code, logs your practice sessions and reminds you to review. You can see exactly what it produces in our free sample plan (PDF), or try the demo.