Risk Assessment Template & Checklist
A free, open-access self-assessment checklist mapped to standard and enhanced tier duties. No gating, no sign-up required.
What the Assessment Needs to Demonstrate
A Martyn's Law terrorism risk assessment (required for enhanced-tier premises with a capacity of 800 or more) is a structured evaluation of the terrorism threat to your premises and the measures in place to reduce the risk of harm to the public.
The assessment should identify the potential terrorism threats relevant to your premises, evaluate the likelihood and impact of each threat, identify existing measures and gaps, and recommend additional public protection measures to close those gaps.
Unlike a general health and safety risk assessment, a terrorism risk assessment focuses specifically on the threat of terrorism — including hostile reconnaissance, vehicle-borne attacks, explosives, and armed attacks. It should inform the public protection measures you implement and document.
Standard-tier premises (200–799 capacity) are not required to carry out a formal terrorism risk assessment, but should still ensure their public protection procedures are proportionate to the threat. The checklist below can be used by both tiers as a self-assessment tool.
Last reviewed: 8 July 2026
Martyn's Law Risk Assessment Checklist
Work through each step. Items marked All apply to every premises in scope. Items marked Enhanced apply to enhanced-tier premises (800+ capacity) only.
Identify your tier
AllConfirm whether your premises is standard tier (200–799) or enhanced tier (800+). This determines the full scope of your assessment.
Identify the responsible person
AllName the individual or organisation with control of the premises. For enhanced-tier, appoint a Designated Senior Individual (DSI).
Assess capacity
AllDocument the reasonably expected capacity of your premises — including staff, visitors, and members of the public at peak times.
Identify terrorism threats
EnhancedList the potential terrorism threats relevant to your premises — hostile reconnaissance, vehicle-borne attacks, explosives, armed attacks, and other relevant threat vectors.
Evaluate likelihood and impact
EnhancedFor each identified threat, assess the likelihood of occurrence and the potential impact on public safety. This informs the prioritisation of measures.
Review evacuation procedures
AllConfirm evacuation routes are clear, assembly points are safe, and staff know the procedures. Document any gaps.
Review invacuation and lockdown procedures
AllConfirm invacuation areas are suitable, lockdown mechanisms work, and staff understand when and how to activate each.
Review communication plans
AllConfirm how staff and the public will be alerted during an incident. Test internal communication methods and emergency services contact protocols.
Identify public protection measures
EnhancedList the physical and procedural measures in place — barriers, access controls, CCTV, security personnel, hostile vehicle mitigation, and other relevant measures.
Identify gaps and recommend measures
EnhancedCompare the measures in place against the identified threats. Document gaps and recommend additional measures to close them, prioritised by risk.
Document everything
AllCompile the assessment, procedures, measures, and gaps into a single written document. Enhanced-tier premises must maintain full inspectable documentation.
Review regularly
AllReview the assessment at least annually, and whenever circumstances change — new buildings, layout changes, capacity changes, or new threat information.
Worked Example
Consider a 500-capacity community sports hall that hosts regular public events. Its reasonably expected capacity is 500 — above the 200-person threshold but below 800, so it falls under the standard duty.
Using the checklist, the responsible person would work through steps 1–3 (tier, responsible person, capacity), skip steps 4, 5, 9, and 10 (enhanced-tier only), and complete steps 6–8 and 11–12 (evacuation, invacuation/lockdown, communication, documentation, and regular review). The output is a simple written document showing the public protection procedures in place — proportionate, documented, and reviewable.
If the same hall also hosted a one-off concert with 850 attendees, that event would qualify as an enhanced-tier event, triggering the additional requirements including a terrorism risk assessment and a designated senior individual for that event.
Risk Assessment — Common Questions
What should a Martyn's Law risk assessment include?
A terrorism risk assessment under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 should include: identification of the potential terrorism threats relevant to your premises; evaluation of the likelihood and impact of each threat; a review of existing public protection procedures and measures; identification of gaps; and recommendations for additional measures. It should be documented, reviewed regularly, and inform the public protection measures you implement. The assessment is mandatory for enhanced-tier premises (800+ capacity) but recommended for all premises in scope.