Martyn's Law scope check
Your result
Your answers
- Building
- Most people at once
- Mainly used for
- Events for 800 or more
What to do now
- Agree who is responsible for your venue (the responsible person).
- Tell the SIA (the regulator) who that is.
- Write your four plans: get everyone out (evacuation), bring everyone in (invacuation), lock down (lockdown) and keep people informed (communication).
- Make sure your volunteers and staff know the plans. When you hire out your building, you stay the responsible person. The Home Office's guidance says to explain to each hirer what's expected of them, and to be able to show the SIA that you did.
- Get specialist advice on the enhanced tier's extra duties, such as security measures and a named senior person.
- Agree who is responsible for your venue, and tell the SIA (the regulator).
- Start with the four plans every venue in scope needs: get everyone out (evacuation), bring everyone in (invacuation), lock down (lockdown) and keep people informed (communication).
- Make sure your volunteers, staff and hirers know the plans.
- Nothing is required by Martyn's Law for your venue.
- Check again if your numbers grow, for example if you start holding bigger events.
- A simple plan for emergencies is still a good idea. Insurers and hirers may ask for one.
You don't need: security staff, bag searches, CCTV or new equipment, building work or a training course.
When: Nothing is required by law yet. The Home Office encourages venues to start thinking about what the law asks.
How long: on your own, the Home Office estimates about 9 hours of managers' time to plan the four procedures, and about 15 minutes for each person to learn them. With hailo, your plans are written and approved in about 30 minutes.
For your meeting: the free committee pack has the six decisions to make and draft wording for the minutes, at gethailo.co.uk/guides/martyns-law-committee-pack.
How hailo helps
- Drafts your four plans from your answers about the building, in plain English. You read and approve each one.
- Briefs your volunteers, staff and hirers by link or QR code, and records who has confirmed.
- Helps you tell the SIA, and keeps your evidence ready in one pack.
- Reminds you when people or plans need a refresh, and when the annual review is due.
Get your plans ready in about 30 minutes at gethailo.co.uk
Free to set up. You only pay when you approve your plans.
Questions
How accurate is this check?
It follows the tiers in the Act and the Home Office guidance, and it's a guide, not legal advice. The SIA plans to publish its own scope tool, expected in early 2027; your answer should match it.
What counts as the number of people?
The most people you'd reasonably expect in the building at the same time, including staff and volunteers, at your busiest times, even if those are only now and then. Under 200 is out of scope; 200 to 799 is the standard tier.
Do you keep my answers?
No. The check runs on this page in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to us or stored.