Understanding Martyn’s Law for Event Organisers

Part 2: Ten Lessons Learnt from the Manchester Arena Attack

by Alex Bomberg | 1st Oct 2024

Ten lessons learned from the Manchester Arena Attack

The Manchester Arena attack on May 22, 2017, resulted in the tragic loss of 22 lives and left over 800 people injured, many of them seriously.

The bombing had a profound impact on the victims, their families, and the wider community, highlighting significant shortcomings in public safety and emergency response. The subsequent inquiries and reports have provided valuable insights and recommendations for event organisers to enhance safety and preparedness.

Here are the top ten lessons from the Manchester Bombing report that event organisers should reflect on, each accompanied by a key question for you and your team to consider, along with practical recommendations.

1. Comprehensive Risk Assessments

- Lesson Learned: The lack of a detailed and dynamic risk assessment was a major oversight. A comprehensive assessment should consider all potential threats, including terrorism, and account for venue-specific vulnerabilities.

- Question: Could you defend your present Security Risk Assessment in Court?

- Recommendation: Event organisers should conduct thorough, up-to-date Security Risk Assessments tailored to each event, covering all security, safety, and logistical aspects.

2. Effective Communication and Coordination

- Lesson Learned: Poor communication between security staff, venue management, and emergency services hampered response efforts.

- Question: Will your present communication system work?

- Recommendation: Establish clear communication protocols and coordination mechanisms among all stakeholders, including event staff, security teams, local authorities, and emergency services. Communications need to be part of all scenario-based training - does it work?

3. Security Staff Training and Awareness

- Lesson Learned: Inadequate training and awareness among security staff contributed to missed opportunities to identify and respond to the threat.

- Question: Do all of your staff clearly understand their duties?

- Recommendation: Ensure all security personnel receive comprehensive training on threat identification, response procedures, and emergency protocols. A record of all training should be kept, with regular scenario-based drills, tabletop exercises, and refresher training being crucial. Where possible, invite Emergency Services to be part of your training.

4. Publicly Accessible Location Security

- Lesson Learned: The attacker exploited weaknesses in publicly accessible areas, such as the foyer, where security was less stringent.

- Question: Do you understand potential vulnerabilities in your operation?

- Recommendation: Pay close attention to the security of entry points, perimeters, and adjacent public areas. Implement measures such as visible security presence, bag checks, and controlled access to prevent unauthorised individuals from entering sensitive areas. Test your security with physical penetration testing, evaluate the results, incorporate the findings into your plans, and provide additional training for staff as needed.

5. Crowd Management and Control

- Lesson Learned: Poor crowd management can exacerbate the impact of an attack or emergency situation.

- Question: Do you correctly manage your crowd or is this just chance?

- Recommendation: Develop detailed crowd management plans, including controlled entry and exit procedures, clear signage, and trained personnel to guide attendees safely in both routine and emergency scenarios. Consider using crowd simulation software and real-time monitoring tools for larger venues. Further, consider secondary incidents such as crushes caused by crowd surges.

6. Vigilance and Proactive Security Measures

- Lesson Learned: There were missed opportunities to question or report suspicious behaviour before the attack.

- Question: Do your staff have the confidence to challenge someone acting suspiciously?

- Recommendation: Foster a culture of vigilance among staff and attendees. Encourage the challenging of suspect people and reporting of suspicious behavior and implement proactive security measures, such as surveillance, random searches, and visible deterrents.

7. Emergency Response Planning

- Lesson Learned: Delays and confusion in emergency response highlighted the need for better planning and coordination.

- Question: Have you stress tested your staff, your processes?

- Recommendation: Develop a comprehensive emergency response plan that includes clear roles and responsibilities for staff and emergency services. Ensure that this plan is fully understood by all. Regularly review and test the plan through simulations and scenario-based exercises.

8. Access to First Aid and Medical Support

- Lesson Learned: The availability of first aid and medical support on-site was limited, impacting the immediate response to casualties.

- Question: Could your present team deal with a mass-casualty event?

- Recommendation: Ensure that adequate first aid facilities and trained medical personnel are present at events, prepared to respond to a mass-casualty situation if necessary. Plan for swift access and evacuation routes for emergency medical services, and incorporate emergency services responders into your scenario-based training exercises.

9. Improving Physical Security Infrastructure

- Lesson Learned: The physical security infrastructure of the venue, such as barriers and CCTV coverage, was insufficient.

- Question: Do your systems work correctly and together to enhance the security function?

- Recommendation: Enhance physical security measures, including robust barriers, high-quality CCTV systems with real-time monitoring, and improved lighting in vulnerable areas. Further, ensure that staff are fully trained and qualified to use these systems.

10. Post-Incident Review and Continuous Improvement

- Lesson Learned: A lack of formal review processes prevented the identification and rectification of security weaknesses before the attack.

- Question: Do really understand your legal responsibilities?

- Recommendation: Implement a structured post-event review process to evaluate security performance and identify areas for improvement. Do this review after your scenario-based exercises and use these insights to refine future security plans and procedures.

Conclusion

The Manchester Arena Bombing report underscores the importance of a proactive and holistic approach to event security. Event organisers must prioritise robust risk assessments, effective communication, comprehensive training, and dynamic security planning. By integrating these lessons into their planning and operations, organisers can better protect attendees and ensure a safer event environment.

At Intelligent Protection, we are already applying the principles of Martyn’s Law with our clients and, in many instances, exceeding these requirements. A key takeaway from the various reports and inquiries into the Manchester Arena Attack is that, frankly, it is far more beneficial for our clients to invest in proactive risk management rather than to handle the aftermath of an incident.

Martyn’s Law is an excellent example of victims and their families collaborating with security and hospitality industry experts, legal professionals, and the UK Government to develop legislation that goes beyond the minimum standards and is practical in its implementation.

Figen Murray has tirelessly campaigned for Martyn’s Law following the death of her son, Martyn, in the 2017 Manchester Arena Attack. She has been dedicated to this effort at every stage, working alongside others to bring this law into effect. Thank you, Figen!

This article raises many questions, but there are even more that you can explore with your team. Improve what you do and add value to your customer experience. We do.

If you would like to discuss the planning of your upcoming event, particularly in relation to Security Risk Assessments, we encourage you to reach out to our team. We are more than happy to provide expert advice and support tailored to your specific needs. Our experienced professionals can assist in developing a comprehensive security strategy that ensures the safety and success of your event.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to helping you create a secure and seamless experience for all involved. Our team can be contacted via email [email protected] or telephone: +44 1453 791444.