Standard Tier vs Enhanced Tier: The Full Comparison
The tier question is one of the most important decisions under Martyn’s Law. It shapes what your premises needs to have in place, who’s accountable, and how a regulator will assess your readiness.
The Attendance Cut-Off
The tier split is based on how many individuals are reasonably expected on your premises from time to time:
- Standard Tier: 200 to 799 individuals
- Enhanced Tier: 800 or more individuals
“Individuals” counts staff, volunteers, and visitors combined. “From time to time” means what it says: regularly, not on an average day.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Duty |
Standard Tier |
Enhanced Tier |
| Public protection procedures (evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, communications) | Required | Required |
| Staff training on procedures | Required | Required |
| Exercising procedures | Required | Required |
| Evidencing procedures, training, and exercises | Required | Required |
| Public protection measures (deter, detect, delay, defend) | Not required | Required |
| Documented rationale for measures chosen | Not required | Required |
| Nominated Responsible Person | Not required | Required |
| Risk assessment specific to the premises | Good practice | Required |
What Standard Tier Looks Like in Practice
A Standard Tier premises needs to be able to show a regulator four things:
- Purpose-built procedures for the premises, not off-the-shelf templates.
- Training records showing staff have been trained on each procedure.
- Exercise records showing the procedures have been tested in practice.
- Evidence logs that tie the above together and are kept current.
A platform like Prova Risk handles all four in one place, with updates flowing automatically into the evidence log whenever procedures change or training is completed.
What Enhanced Tier Adds
Enhanced Tier adds a material additional layer. Beyond procedures, an Enhanced Tier premises must:
- Document a risk assessment specific to the premises, identifying vulnerabilities.
- Select measures (physical and operational) from across deter, detect, delay, defend.
- Document the rationale for the measures chosen, including why others were not.
- Nominate a Responsible Person accountable for Martyn’s Law duties at the premises.
Measures are not prescribed. The Act does not require bollards, CCTV, security guards, or any specific kit. It requires that the measures chosen are reasonably practicable for the premises and documented.
The Places of Worship and Schools Exceptions
Two categories sit in Standard Tier regardless of expected attendance:
- Places of worship with 800 or more individuals reasonably expected remain in Standard Tier.
- Schools (primary and secondary education premises) also remain in Standard Tier, regardless of attendance.
For both, the Enhanced Tier duties (measures, Responsible Person, documented rationale) do not apply.
This is not an exemption from the Act. Large places of worship and schools still prepare and evidence all four public protection procedures, train staff and volunteers, and run exercises. What they don’t have to do is the Enhanced Tier measures layer.
If You Sit Close to 800
If your expected attendance regularly lands within 10% of the 800-individual cut-off (and you don’t sit within the places of worship or schools carve-outs), the practical recommendation is to plan to Enhanced Tier standard. The marginal extra work removes the risk of a regulator disagreeing with your tier call, and the measures layer is genuinely useful risk management even where not strictly required.
Still Not Sure?
The fastest way to know is our free Am I in Scope? tool. A handful of questions, a clear answer, no account needed.
If you already know you’re in scope, Get Started with Prova Risk to prepare your public protection procedures, train your staff, and keep the evidence you’ll need if inspected. £399 per year per site.
