The UK has suffered a number of terror attacks over the years, recently the Manchester Arena bombing, where twenty-two people sadly lost their lives.  There is currently a consultation going through by the Home Office to amend and improve the existing Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.  Whilst it will probably continue as the ‘Terrorism Bill’, it will be more commonly known as ‘Martyn’s Law’, in tribute to Martyn Hett, one of the victims in the Manchester attack. 

The bill will ensure that security preparedness is delivered consistently across events in the UK for better protection of the public and will require further steps to improve public safety such as: 

·         Improve risk assessments to include more detailed emergency plans and procedures

·         Undertake staff training and awareness raising

·         Employing security systems, processes and measures to mitigate threats.

It is being proposed to follow a tiered model linked to activities. The standard tier will cover events from 100 to 799 people, whilst the enhanced tier will focus on events with larger locations with in excess of 800 individuals. Event organisers will be required to undertake a thorough risk assessment to inform the development and implementation of a security plan.  

Subsequent measures could include:

·         Develop a vigilance and security culture amongst your team

·         Incorporate physical measures. e.g. CCTV and PA systems 

When developing a proportionate plan for an event, it is essential to understand the principles of protective security. Measures should cover a variety of aspects including:

·         Deter – discouraging attacks by making it harder to achieve

·         Detect – being alert to potential incidents

·         Delay – have the ability to slow down any incidents

·         Mitigate – involves the use of measures to minimise the impacts of an attack

·         Respond – ensure incidents are dealt with effectively and evacuation plans 

This consultation should be finalised by the end of 2024 and it will be hopefully passed into law soon after.  Companies are preparing for this now to ensure they have everything covered and have the right teams in place to make their event as safe as possible.  

If you would like further information and guidance on what steps you can take. Show Hire has been working with event teams for many years, supporting them with Public Announcement (PA) and Radio Communications and have a range of scalable solutions to help with your safety and emergency evacuation planning.

Feel free to call us today and see how we can help.