Does Martyn's Law apply to me
Does Martyn's Law apply to your premises?
It comes down to how many people may reasonably be present in your building at once, on your busiest realistic day. Everything else is detail.
Does it apply to you
Two numbers: 200 and 800.
Count everyone present at the same moment on your busiest realistic occasion, not an average day.
200 is where standard tier begins
Once it is reasonable to expect 200 people present at once, for a covered use, standard tier applies. That is the whole of the first question.
800 is where enhanced tier begins
Standard tier runs from 200 to 799 present at once. From 800, you move into enhanced tier, which carries further duties Muster does not cover.
Worship and education stay standard tier at any size
Places of worship and education premises sit in standard tier regardless of capacity. Only the 200 threshold matters for them, however many people are present.
Count staff and visitors together
Staff, volunteers and contractors count alongside the public. The Home Office's own example is 750 customers plus 60 staff, which is 810 present and enhanced tier.
What is out of scope: open land on its own, transport hubs, private homes, and workplaces the public cannot access are generally not caught. Where premises are shared, the responsible persons must coordinate with each other.
What the standard tier asks
Four procedures, and a notification to the SIA.
- Evacuation
- Moving people away from danger, out of the building.
- Invacuation
- Moving people to a safer place inside the building.
- Lockdown
- Securing the premises so people cannot enter or leave.
- Communication
- Telling staff and the public what is happening and what to do.
These four, so far as reasonably practicable, plus telling the SIA your premises is in scope. Nothing more is asked at standard tier.
What it does not ask: standard tier does not require you to buy equipment, hire security staff or use any particular product. Detailed documentation is recommended, not required by law.
How Muster helps
One place to see where you stand, and show your working.
Muster helps you settle your scope, draft the four procedures and keep a record of who has been briefed. Muster also tracks your SIA notification and prepares the details, though it cannot file the notification for you.
Go deeper
The counting rules for your kind of building.
Questions people actually ask
Straight answers about who this reaches.
What is the 200 threshold?
It is the point at which standard tier applies. It is reasonable to expect 200 people present in your premises at once, for one of the uses the Act covers.
What does 'present at once' actually mean?
Everyone in the building at the same moment on your busiest realistic occasion. Not the total number of people through the door in a day, and not an average week.
What is the 800 threshold?
It is where enhanced tier begins. Standard tier covers 200 to 799 people present at once. Enhanced tier, from 800, carries further duties that Muster does not cover.
Why do places of worship and schools not follow the 800 rule?
Places of worship and education premises sit in standard tier regardless of capacity. Only the 200 threshold matters for them, however many people turn up.
What is out of scope entirely?
Open land on its own, transport hubs, private homes, and workplaces the public cannot access are generally not caught. A large ticketed event on open land can still be caught separately.
What does standard tier actually ask us to do?
Notify the SIA, and have four public protection procedures in place so far as reasonably practicable. No equipment, no security staff and no product are required.
Six questions is quicker than reading any of this.
The checker asks what your building is, what it is used for, and how many people are in it at once.