As a leading manufacturer of security technology, Grosvenor Technology has always held safety and security in high regard – after all, it’s at the heart of what we provide. So, the pending introduction of a new law designed to enhance the security measures in public spaces is very much welcomed.
Martyn’s Law (properly called The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill) will come into force across the UK and will see a higher demand put on our industry to deliver on the requirements stipulated.
Here, we consider the implications of the bill and what needs to be done to ensure we’re ready to rise to the call.
What is Martyn’s Law with Respect to Building Security?
The core premise of Martyn’s Law is to reduce the impact of any terrorist attack on public venues in the UK. It ensures those premises are prepared and that measures are in place for the safety of all occupants. Any site that holds more than 100 people must have these processes ready to comply with the law once it comes into force.
For building security, this represents a clear need to ensure access control is appropriately tight and well managed. Section 15 of the bill dictates that security measures must be in place to reduce the risk of physical harm to individuals in the premises in the event of an act of terrorism and specifically covers measures in relation to the movement of individuals into, out of, and within the premises.
Access Control and Martyn’s Law
The two greatest areas of focus for providers of building security systems are:
– Maintaining premium quality security
– Providing comprehensive access management
The Quality of Security
Ensuring that security is without compromise should not be in question – it is the very centre of the system’s purpose. A full assessment should be undertaken to confirm the true measure of security, and problems such as card cloning must be addressed, with building managers needing to consider upgrading legacy systems with more robust encryption-driven hardware and software that better represents the first-class capabilities of today’s premium access control.
The Role of Access Control
More than ever, full-spectrum comprehensive access control is a must. One major consideration is that of lockdown functionality; the ability to prevent access across all or part of a site to secure specific areas is essential. This includes:
– Preventing and delaying the progress through the building of any intruders
– Foolproof anti-passback systems
– Personnel tracking
– The ability to create safe corridors for passage
– Providing secure access for emergency services
– Comprehensive reporting for management needs
– Integration with other surveillance and security systems
Only systems with a dedicated centralised access control system can provide the level of functionality that the bill demands.
Developing JanusC4 for the Future
At Grosvenor Technology, we already offer our JanusC4 system that provides the security needed to meet the requirements of Martyn’s Law, but that doesn’t mean we can sit quietly by. As industry innovators, it’s our mission to continuously look forward and anticipate the demands of tomorrow’s environments.
Development is ongoing to continuously refine and improve our products on both a hardware and software level, with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill at the centre of the conversation. By understanding both the purpose of the bill and the needs it creates for our end customers, we are working to stay at the forefront of security for our changing world.
Supporting the Introduction of Martyn’s Law
Upgrading to the latest estate-wide door security and access control systems is only one step on the path to true compliance with Martyn’s Law. The bill requires the development of security plans and processes to be put into place, as well as the full training of staff.
At Grosvenor Technology, we understand that it’s not enough to just supply the product and that compliance with the new law requires full, dedicated support; we are ready to provide exactly that to all our customers and welcome the improved safety for all that this bill represents.