Pubs, bars and restaurants
Most pubs are nowhere near 200. The ones with function rooms, gardens and live music nights often are.
A pub, bar or restaurant is in the standard tier if it is reasonable to expect 200 to 799 people at once at its busiest normal times, including staff. Function rooms, big garden nights and live music often tip venues over 200. The duty is four procedures and notifying the SIA; nothing needs to be bought.
What does it mean for you?
- Count the garden only if it is part of the premises the public use — and be realistic about summer weekends.
- Lockdown in a pub is usually the front doors and the garden gate; the kitchen exit must stay usable as a fire exit.
- Staff turnover is the weak point. A one-page procedure and a five-minute induction brief beat a long document.
- Door supervisors, where you have them, need to know the code phrase and their role.
The four procedures are explained on the standard tier page, tiers on which tier am I in, and there is a checklist and a worked example.
Before you pay anyone: the Home Office says premises do not need to buy consultancy to meet the standard tier, and its guidance, the SIA’s guidance and the ProtectUK training are free. Neither the Home Office nor the SIA endorses any provider, including us. The legal responsibility stays with the person responsible for the premises; we help with the work, we do not take the duty off you.
What do the four procedures look like in a pub?
Evacuation: out through the garden or rear exit, away from the street, to a meeting point that is not outside the front door.
Invacuation: into the function room, cellar or back bar, away from the front windows.
Lockdown: front doors and garden gate locked by named roles; the kitchen fire exit stays usable.
Communication: a code phrase on the radio or passed bar to bar, then clear instructions to guests.
What are the common gaps?
- Using the fire plan as the Martyn's Law plan without changes.
- Nobody on the late shift knowing where the keys are.
- Forgetting the garden and smoking area.
Want a second pair of eyes on it?
Send the venue type, the most people you would expect in at once, and how many sites you run. We will tell you which tier you look to be in and whether the free route is enough before quoting anything.
Common questions
Is my beer garden included in the 200?
If the garden is part of the premises the public use, people there count towards the number reasonably expected at the same time.
Do door staff change anything?
Door supervisors are useful for communication and lockdown, but the procedures are the responsible person's duty. Brief them on their role.