MARTYN’S LAW · PRACTICAL GUIDE
Start with the whole pub: the bar, dining areas, function rooms and any associated outdoor space. Then bring the people running those areas into the same conversation.
Reviewed 14 October 2026 · Free to use · No account needed
A pub used mainly for food and drink consumed on site can meet a Schedule 1 use. Where the other premises criteria are met, expected simultaneous attendance of 200 to 799 generally indicates standard tier; 800 or more generally indicates enhanced tier. Count staff as well as customers. Confirm the boundary and any exclusions before drawing a conclusion.
Optional preparation prompts. Agree the local arrangements with the responsible organisation.
Ask who can explain how the bar, function room and beer garden relate to the premises being assessed. Separate operators or units may need an individual review.
Review booking patterns and attendance evidence with the manager. Include the teams serving that period and avoid adding totals from different times of day.
Identify who briefs bar, floor, kitchen and temporary staff, and who checks that each team understands its assigned role.
Confirm how a new duty lead receives unresolved questions, changed bookings and the current local procedure version.
Moving people out of the premises or relevant area, away from danger.
Moving people to a place within the premises where the risk of harm is lower.
Securing the premises against entry or exit as the circumstances require.
Giving people at the premises the information they need.
After commencement, the responsible person must ensure appropriate procedures are in place so far as reasonably practicable. Local circumstances determine which actions are suitable. Relevant people need to understand their roles.
A temporary worker arrives after the briefing. The bar manager assumes the agency has briefed them; the agency knows only its own general induction. Ask who will explain the local role, lead and communication arrangements, then record who will close that gap.
Choose a proportionate format and timing. Keep the outcome focused on questions, agreed actions and who will follow them up. This is an optional exercise.
Associated land can form part of premises. Confirm the assessed boundary and connected use; an outdoor label alone does not determine the answer.
Responsibility follows the Act’s control test. Contractors can carry out agreed tasks; confirm who controls the relevant use and how responsibilities are co-ordinated.
Source review: 14 October 2026. OnSiren publishes these guides independently, based on the official sources listed here. The linked organisations retain their official roles, and OnSiren makes no claim of endorsement by the Home Office or the SIA.