The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 was given Royal Assent in April 2025. Also known as Martyn's Law, we explain what you may need to do as a business or organisation when it comes to first aid provision.
Martyn's Law is changing how publicly accessible premises and events across the UK think about emergency preparedness. In this Martyn's Law guidance, we'll answer your questions, including "What is Martyn's Law?" and "When does Martyn's Law come into effect?". We'll also explain what businesses need to know – and how Arco can help you build confidence, consistency and readiness into your first aid provision.
What is Martyn’s Law?
Martyn's Law is the common name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. It was introduced to improve protective security and organisational preparedness at certain public premises and events across the UK. The Act is named in memory of Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017.
The legislation is designed to help organisations think ahead: how would people on site respond if a terrorist incident happened? Who would take responsibility? What would staff do first? How would people be protected, evacuated, locked down or given lifesaving support?
Although the Act received Royal Assent on 3rd April 2025, the implementation period is expected to be at least 24 months. This gives businesses or organisations like yours time to understand whether they are in scope, review their current arrangements and take practical steps before the duties come into force.
Who will be affected by Martyn's Law?
Martyn's Law may apply to premises and events where the public has access. This could include sectors such as retail, hospitality, entertainment, education, healthcare, places of worship, leisure, visitor attractions and publicly accessible events.
Martyn's Law in the UK will adopt a tiered approach, meaning those who are responsible for premises and events will need to fulfil different obligations depending on the number of people who may reasonably be present at any one time. Broadly, the Act introduces a standard tier for qualifying premises with a capacity of 200 to 799 individuals, and an enhanced tier for larger premises and qualifying events with a capacity of 800 or more.
For premises
The following four criteria need to be fulfilled to fall within scope of the Act:
Any site that has at least one building or a building and other land
The premises are wholly or mainly used for one or more of the uses specified in the act (e.g. a restaurant or shop)
At least 200 people may be reasonably expected to be on-site at the same time, at any one time
The premises are not exempt, as stipulated in the Act
For events
The following six criteria need to be fulfilled to fall within the scope of the Act:
An event taking place at premises as defined above (it may also include land without buildings)
The event takes place at premises not already covered by the Act
The event is public
800 or more people may be present at the event at any one time
There are measures in place to check entry conditions (e.g. a ticket, pass or membership to be shown)
The event is not excluded by the Act
What do affected businesses need to do to get ready for Martyn's Law?
For many organisations, Martyn's Law in the UK is likely to mean moving beyond 'tick-box' compliance and towards practical incident readiness. That could include reviewing procedures, making sure staff understand what to do in an emergency, improving communication and ensuring the right first aid and emergency response equipment is available, accessible and maintained.
Standard tier: Organisations may need proportionate preparedness procedures, such as staff awareness, information sharing and plans for responding to an incident
Enhanced tier: Larger premises and events may need to consider additional protective security measures, assess vulnerabilities and take reasonably practicable steps to reduce risks
Every organisation's needs will be different. A small retail site, a school, a place of worship, a manufacturing site with visitors and a large public event will each have different risks, layouts, footfall patterns and emergency response needs. That is why preparedness should be based on a realistic assessment of the people, hazards and scenarios relevant to your site.
Why first aid readiness matters
In any serious incident, the first few minutes can be critical. Having the right first aid equipment, trained people and clear procedures in place can help organisations respond faster and more effectively while emergency services are on their way.
For businesses, this may mean reviewing whether existing first aid provision is genuinely suitable for the risks on site. Standard workplace first aid kits may be appropriate for day-to-day incidents, but public-facing environments, larger venues or higher-risk sites may also need to consider additional equipment such as trauma and bleed control kits, burns kits, eyewash provision, Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and clearly accessible emergency supplies.
How Arco can help your business prepare for Martyn's Law
As Experts in Safety, Arco can provide Martyn's Law guidance, supporting businesses like yours in reviewing and strengthening their first aid readiness. From compliant first aid supplies to Martyn's Law training and consultancy, we can help organisations take practical steps towards better preparedness.
First aid supplies: access a comprehensive range of first aid kits, refills, eyewash, burns care, trauma supplies and AEDs to help align provision with your workplace risks
Martyn's Law training (first aid training): Arco Professional Safety Services offers workplace first aid training, including Emergency First Aid at Work, First Aid at Work, refresher and requalification courses
Consultancy and support: expert Martyn's Law guidance can help you review risk, identify gaps, understand your first aid needs and build more consistent emergency arrangements across single or multiple sites
End-to-end safety partnership: Arco can help assess risk, train staff, supply equipment and support ongoing safety management, helping reduce gaps between policy, purchasing and day-to-day readiness
When does Martyn's Law come into effect?
Martyn's Law received Royal Assent on 3rd April 2025, but the duties are not expected to apply straight away. With an implementation period of at least 24 months from that date, the legislation is likely to come into force no earlier than around 3rd April 2027. This gives organisations time to check whether they fall within scope, understand what will be required and make practical preparations before compliance becomes mandatory.
Make your Martyn's Law updates now
There is no legal requirement to comply with Martyn's Law until the legislation comes into force, but if your business or organisation is likely to be in scope, you should use the implementation period wisely. Reviewing first aid provision, staff training and emergency procedures now can help organisations move from basic compliance towards genuine readiness.
Need help getting prepared? Shop first aid supplies and learn more about workplace first aid training and consultancy support from Arco Professional Safety Services.
For further Martyn's Law updates, make sure to bookmark and check our Safety Resources regularly. And ensure your business or organisation is compliant, with our latest updates on BS 8599, the British Standard for workplace first aid kits.
