Learn to save lives at your job induction, says terrorism victim's mother

Figen Murray campaigns for public preparedness after son Martyn's death in 2017 Manchester attack

The Manchester Arena bombing killed 22 people six years ago. PA

People starting a new job in Britain should have life-saving training as part of their induction, the mother of a Manchester Arena bombing victim has said.

Figen Murray, whose son Martyn Hett died in the 2017 atrocity, said workplaces could be the way to reach the adult population.

Speaking at a Counter-Terrorism Expo in London, she said much of the public “have not got a clue” on readiness for an attack.

ISIS-inspired suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people in the Manchester attack six years ago on Monday.

“Before Martyn died, honestly, I had absolutely no interest in terrorism, policing, security, safety,” Mrs Murray said.

“The general public out there have not got a clue and it simply isn’t on their radar.”

Mrs Murray said she now carries a small tool in her bag that could stop people bleeding to death when critically injured.

She said training with medical equipment – typically given to the military or emergency responders – should be offered to the general public.

“I think any organisation can maybe train their workforce. Quite often you have an induction programme so I think that life-saving training could be part of that,” she told The National.

“You just don’t know when something is going to happen. Terrorism is here to stay.

“If the worst thing does happen, a prepared workforce who knows how to save each other’s lives, how to protect themselves and how to recognise suspicious behaviour … those skills combined make a resilient workforce.”

Figen Murray lost her son, Martyn Hett, 29, in the Manchester bombing. PA

An inquiry into the Manchester bombing criticised the emergency response and said one victim, John Atkinson, could have survived.

A police chief admitted that communication between emergency services was poor on the night of the attack.

Hundreds of people were injured when Abedi detonated a bomb after an Ariana Grande concert at the arena.

The attacker’s brother, Hashem Abedi, was convicted of murder in 2020 after a jury found he helped to prepare the bombing.

Mrs Murray has campaigned since the death of her son for readiness standards for terrorism.

The government this month published a draft “Martyn’s Law” that would bring in inspections for large venues.

The call for wider training is being echoed by insurers as their business clients prepare for the new requirements.

Guidance issued by insurer Pool Re says training and awareness materials could be “part of regular staff training and on-boarding”.

It says companies could start appointing people to oversee the new security requirements before Martyn’s Law comes into effect.

A draft Martyn's Law will impose new counter-terrorism requirements on businesses. PA

Mrs Murray said she hoped sanctions for those who flout the rules would prevent it becoming a “box-ticking exercise”.

“The fact is we can suddenly be caught up in a road traffic accident, we can suddenly be caught up in a terrorist attack, like Martyn did,” she said.

“Any of us could find ourselves in the situation to become a first responder. It must be awful to be in a situation like that and not knowing what to do and how to help.”

The London expo also heard calls for life-saving training and mental health advice to be given to children in case they are caught up in terrorism.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is on the national curriculum but Sir Keith Porter, a professor of clinical traumatology with a background in treating military injuries, said training in schools should go further.

“We know that if we train young people, they will cascade those messages out,” he said.

“The success of driving forward any campaign – CPR, stop the bleed – has got to be taking it to the young people and relying on them to drive that message forward.”