How do barriers and bollards relate to Martyn’s Law?

Physical security measures such as barriers, bollards, and controlled-access gates can play an important supporting role in relation to Martyn’s Law, particularly where vehicle-related risks have been identified.

These types of products can help by:

• Helping to prevent unauthorised vehicle access, reducing the risk of vehicles entering restricted or vulnerable areas
• Supporting managed entry and exit points, allowing better control over how vehicles move around a site
• Forming part of a layered security approach, working alongside other safety measures rather than acting alone
• Demonstrating that vehicle-related risks have been considered, which is a key part of the risk assessment process

In practice, Martyn’s Law is not about installing specific products, but about taking a proportionate and risk-based approach to security. Barriers and bollards can therefore be used as practical tools to support this, particularly in locations where vehicle access needs to be controlled.

These measures are typically implemented alongside policies, procedures, staff training, and emergency planning, ensuring a well-rounded and effective approach to site safety rather than relying on any single solution.