Guide ยท Updated 6 November 2026
What is invacuation?
Short answer: invacuation means moving people into your building, or to a safer part of it, when it is more dangerous outside than in. It is one of the four procedures every Standard Tier venue needs under Martyn's Law, alongside evacuation, lockdown and communication.
When would you invacuate?
Most venues only ever plan to get people out, because that is what a fire needs. A terrorist incident can be the opposite. You might invacuate if:
- there is an attack or a suspicious item in the street outside
- police tell you to keep people inside
- people in your beer garden or queue need to get indoors fast
Evacuation, invacuation and lockdown
- Evacuation: getting people out, away from a danger inside or nearby.
- Invacuation: bringing people in, or moving them to a safer area inside.
- Lockdown: securing doors and entrances to stop an attacker getting in, and keeping people away from windows.
In a real incident you may use more than one. For example, you might invacuate the garden and then lock down.
How to plan for it
- Pick your safer areas. Look for rooms away from glass and the main entrance: a cellar, kitchen, function room, back office or toilets with solid walls.
- Decide who calls it. Name the duty manager or the most senior person on shift, so nobody waits for permission.
- Decide how you tell people. Use a clear, calm instruction your staff know, by voice, PA or by turning the music off.
- Know your doors. Which doors to close, who locks them, and how to keep fire exits usable.
- Brief the team. Run through it at a shift briefing and write down that you did.
None of this needs equipment. It needs a short written plan that fits your building. That is what our done-for-you pack provides.
Want it done for you? Answer one 15-minute questionnaire and we write your Standard Tier procedures, Responsible Person record, staff briefing sheet and record log, delivered within 3 working days.
General information based on the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 and the Home Office and SIA guidance as at 6 November 2026. Not legal advice. Official sources: SIA: Understanding Martyn's Law and ProtectUK.
More guides: all Martyn's Law guides.