Back to Basics: Surviving a terror attack

The explosion at the Giraffe bar-restaurant in Exeter on May 22 was a sharp reminder that the hospitality industry, including pubs, is a potential target for terrorists. Luckily, no-one was injured. Still, it confirmed what police and counter-terrorist bodies have been warning with increasing urgency since London's 7/7 attacks - that places where people gather are vulnerable to attack.

Earlier this year, under the Project Argus scheme, licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen brought together pub and bar operators for a seminar with counter-terrorism experts on what to do if a bomb goes off in or near your premises. It's still an unlikely event, but it's one you must be prepared for.

"The type of attack has changed," Richard Flynn from the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (Nactso) told the group. "Terrorists are intent on causing mass casualties, and you have to think about how to manage that situation and how your business will recover from it."

The seminar took delegates through a simulation of what they would face in the hours following an explosion. There are no clear-cut rules to follow, because every situation is different. It's your skills as a manager and leader that come to the fore. Flynn describes it as a "dynamic risk assessment, in which you make decisions minute-by-minute".

"Don't expect the cavalry to be running over the hills," he warns. "You might see very little activity from the emergency services at first and you might have to deal with the situation yourself for 20 minutes or two hours.

"It's you who will have to manage the incident. It will be noisy, you'll be seeing some nasty things and people will expect you to make decisions."

These are the procedures Nactso advises you to follow in the minutes and hours following an attack:

First 15 minutes following an explosion

In this order:

• Assess the scene - the nature of the event, the casualties, the access to your premises.

• Dial 999 - don't assume someone else is doing it. When you get through you will be asked questions such as the number of casualties and what access emergency services will have.

• Help casualties.

15 minutes-plus

Anticipate a second explosion. Move people to a safe place. Glass is the biggest killer in an explosion and is shattered over a huge area. Drill staff not to look out of the window and to keep customers away from windows and any internal glazed areas. Get behind hard surfaces, turn tables over, get behind pillars or find a protected space within the building.

Think about how you'll communicate with staff and customers. If you use your sound system prepare messages that aren't going to frighten people.

You will have to make a decision on whether to stay put or evacuate the building. Unless the building is in danger of collapse or there is smoke and fumes, in most cases it is safer to stay. People will want to go but they will need to be made aware there's a risk of further devices going off. If people do leave the building you need to know who they are and where they're going.

Your fire alarms will probably go off - but it's not necessarily a good idea to evacuate, so nominate someone to search for a fire first. If you have to evacuate don't use fire evacuation points - terrorists do their homework and they may target these areas. When evacuating look out for suspect vehicles and individuals and get as far as you can from the incident - those blue police tapes offer no protection at all.

Two hours-plus

Deal with staff issues:

• stress and shock

• communication with friends and relatives

• transport home.

There's more stress for people if the situation seems uncontrolled or if they can't communicate. Mobile phone networks will probably be down, so landlines are important. Get someone to collect the names of people at the venue who are OK and phone them through to police.

Most cities have city-centre evacuation plans and it's important to know what zone you're in and where your transportation point is. Ask your local authority for help.

Business continuity

A terrorist attack is unique among emergencies in that every aspect of your business will be affected immediately. Even if your premises isn't physically damaged, in the days and weeks after an attack your customers will tend to migrate to parts of the city they perceive to be safer.

There will be an indirect effect on your reputation. People will see the whole area as unsafe and every pub will suffer. So talk to other licensees in the same boat and work on inducements to get customers back in. Feed the media with good news and show you've got plans in place to protect against future terrorist attacks, and consider increasing your security.

Nactso produces a guide to help and every local police force has a counter-terrorism security advisor, so contact them for advice.