Security · HSSE Watch

Martyn’s Law Planning Tools: Test Public Protection Procedures

Published 9 November 2026

Official release and article/source review: 9 November 2026. Verify current official advice before decisions.

A completed template is not the same as a workable response. New tools from the UK Security Industry Authority give premises and event teams a structured starting point—but the real test is whether staff can make the plan work for the people actually present.

What changed on 9 November 2026?

The SIA published a standard-tier planning tool and an enhanced-tier template for Martyn’s Law. Its release describes preparation for public protection procedures including evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communications. Invacuation means moving people to safer areas within the premises.

This is a preparation update, not an announcement that duties commenced today. The SIA says commencement is expected in spring 2027; the enhanced-tier resource says the law will not take effect before spring 2027 and not to submit documentation yet. Check current official instructions before making compliance or submission decisions.

Start with scope, not an assumed tier

Use the official scope guidance and ProtectUK flowcharts, and resolve mixed-use or uncertain arrangements with competent advice. Do not assume that every workplace is covered or that a headcount alone settles the question. The new tools are relevant to UK premises and qualifying events; they are not a new legal duty for sites worldwide.

International teams can still use the operational lesson: emergency arrangements should fit the venue, population and available resources. Treat this article as preparation support, not a legal determination of your organisation’s obligations.

Turn the tool into a practical discussion

The SIA explains that the resources guide thought and record decisions; they are not a definitive checklist. Involve people who understand reception, facilities, operations, events, accessibility, contractor management and communications. Include workers on shifts that senior managers rarely see.

1. Clarify authority. Identify who can initiate a protective procedure, who takes over if absent, and how instructions reach staff and visitors. Avoid an arrangement that depends on one person being at a desk.
2. Consider different protective options. Do not treat a fire evacuation plan as automatically suitable for every security event. Review the suitability of evacuation, invacuation and lockdown in the context of the premises and official protective-security advice.
3. Plan for real people. Consider unfamiliar visitors, people needing assistance, language or hearing barriers, contractors, lone workers and temporary staff. Check how they receive clear, accessible instructions.
4. Test communication failure. Review how a message reaches occupied areas if the usual public-address system or a key contact is unavailable. Keep arrangements proportionate and do not publish sensitive site vulnerabilities.
5. Exercise, learn and improve. Use a controlled tabletop exercise before any live drill. Record confusion, responsibility gaps and unworkable assumptions; allocate actions and retest them.

Keep preparation evidence useful and protected

Use version control and identify the person responsible for reviewing the plan after changes to layout, occupancy, events or service providers. Store security-sensitive details with appropriate access. Give staff the information needed for their role without placing detailed vulnerabilities in publicly accessible documents.

For the standard tier, the official planning-tool page says the completed document does not need to be sent to the SIA. For the enhanced tier, follow the SIA’s commencement and submission instructions rather than submitting prematurely. Templates support thought; they do not certify that a venue is compliant.

Leadership questions

• Have we verified our scope and tier using official guidance?
• Can the least familiar shift explain who gives instructions and how?
• What changed after our last exercise, and was the correction tested?

Key takeaway

Use the new tools now to expose gaps in preparation. A proportionate plan should be understood, accessible, exercised and kept current—not just filed.

Video availability

No directly relevant authoritative embeddable video was verified for this new development. The linked primary written sources provide the dated evidence; unrelated footage has not been added.