Martyn’s law brings into focus GHD’s advisory work on safety and security

After several months of speculation, The Terrorism     (Protection of Premises) Act – Martyn’s Law – received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. 

This new law, named in memory of Martyn Hett, a victim of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017, aims to improve protective security and organisational preparedness across the UK by requiring that those responsible for certain premises and events consider how they would respond to a terrorist attack.

The law mandates that venues with a capacity of 200 or more people must adopt robust security practices, including conducting regular risk assessments, training staff in counter-terrorism measures, and developing emergency response plans.

How people move and behave during an emergency is critical to consider when developing response procedures in most buildings, places and events, and especially where there are large numbers of people gathered. However, human dynamics are not always considered nor measured and planned for during operation.

At GHD, we have a long track record in this space and combine pioneering research and leading people movement consultancy to meet our clients' challenges, and deliver bespoke, thoughtful, evidence-based and practical solutions.

How can we help?
The law will impact everything from stadia to hospitals, airports to universities and construction sites.   We have committed to supporting our clients address the challenges they face in meeting the requirements of Martyn’s Law through our consultancy services for venues across the United Kingdom.

• Informing and testing emergency response plans
  We assist venues in creating, assessing and testing their emergency response plans, ensuring they are tailored to their specific needs. This includes consideration of procedures for evacuation, communication, and coordination with other stakeholders in response to different threats.
  
  Through evidence-based analysis using varied techniques, such as data collection and simulation modelling, we enable venues to test and iterate response plans so that they are better prepared to manage incidents effectively. 
  
  

• Training and development
  For incident response plans, practising and rehearsing the response is key for people to build and maintain the necessary capabilities.
  We can develop engaging training programmes and create interactive training materials, tailored to different user groups and specific to the site and plans 

This includes scenario-based exercises, workshops, and access to online resources, enabling staff to develop the necessary knowledge and practise carrying out the emergency procedures to manage people movement at their site during an incident.

Why not reach out today to find out more about how we can help: info@movementstrategies.com

Acerca de GHD

GHD es una empresa líder en servicios profesionales que opera en los mercados mundiales de agua, energía y recursos, medio ambiente, infraestructura y edificaciones, y transporte. Comprometidos con la visión de garantizar que el agua, la energía y las comunidades sean sostenibles para las futuras generaciones, GHD ofrece soluciones en consultoría, servicios digitales, ingeniería, arquitectura, medio ambiente y construcción a clientes del sector público y privado. Fundada en 1928 y propiedad de sus trabajadores, GHD cuenta con una red de más de 12.000 profesionales en más de 160 oficinas en cinco continentes.