The Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) is an important part of any establishment that serves alcohol. This is a set of rules and regulations that ensures that the customers are not over-served and that all safety protocols are followed. This is an important part of reducing the potential for alcohol-related harm. 

Today, we will talk about the main steps that you can take to provide responsible service of alcohol. Our guide can help anyone working in businesses serving alcohol, like bartenders. We will explain each step in our guide so that you have a better understanding of alcohol service. So let’s go through the guide to ensuring responsible service of alcohol. 

Essential Steps to Ensure the Responsible Service of Alcohol 

Responsible service of alcohol is one of the key steps to prevent alcohol related crimes. Therefore, it’s very important to ensure this practice. Let’s take a look at some essential steps to ensure the responsible service of alcohol to your customers. 

1. Ensure Proper Training in RSA 

All staff members should be trained in the proper policies and procedures for serving alcohol responsibly. This training should include information on how to check IDs, identify signs of intoxication and handle situations involving intoxicated patrons. Formal units like the SITHFAB021 – Provide responsible service of alcohol cover this training. 

2. Understand the Law 

Different states may have different laws and regulations concerning the sale and service of alcohol. It’s important to familiarise yourself with the laws of your state to ensure you are serving alcohol responsibly. You can also familiarise yourself with these laws with a short course that can also provide you with an alcohol service certification. 

3. Create a Policy of RSA 

This policy should include information on the types of drinks that are served and the maximum number of drinks that can be served to any patron. It should also include information on how to handle intoxicated patrons and how to refuse service if necessary. A clear policy can avoid different misunderstandings in the long term. 

4. Enforce the Policy 

All staff should be aware of the policy and be willing to enforce it. There should be a zero-tolerance policy for any staff members who are not following the policy. Managers should monitor the staff members regularly to make sure that they are following the policy and protocols. A policy can be effectively enforced only through proper teamwork. 

5. Offer Alternative Non-Alcoholic Drinks 

Businesses should offer a wide range of alternative non-alcoholic drinks for customers who choose not to drink alcohol. This helps to ensure that all customers are catered for. It can also mitigate alcohol-related problems. You can find numerous awesome ideas online for preparing exciting non-alcoholic drinks. 

6. Monitor the Consumption of Alcohol 

The staff members should be aware of how much alcohol is being consumed by the customers. They should intervene if they believe a customer is at risk of becoming intoxicated. They should adopt a cooperative approach when intervening in any situation. Staff members should always try to de-escalate any problematic situation.   

7. Do Not Serve Drinks to Intoxicated Customers 

The staff members should be able to identify the signs of intoxication and refuse service to any customer who appears to be intoxicated. Once again, the staff members should try to be calm and cooperative. The business serving alcohol should take the necessary security measures to prevent any possible negative occurrence. 

8. Provide Food 

Businesses can provide food to customers who are consuming too much alcohol. This helps reduce the risk of intoxication. You can include a simple menu in your business. It can be very effective to mitigate the risks of intoxication. Including food can also be a new revenue stream for your business. 

9. Provide Transportation 

In some cases, you can arrange for alternative transportation for customers who are unable to drive due to intoxication. This helps ensure the safety of the customers. It can also have a positive effect on the image of your business. So make sure that you have access to other modes of transportation. 

10. Report Violations 

It’s important to report any violation of state laws or regulations to the authorities. This will help to ensure that customers are complying with the law. You will also be able to serve alcohol responsibly to all of the customers. Therefore, it’s wise to have the contact numbers of the nearest police stations. 

 

Short Course in the Responsible Service of Alcohol 

As mentioned before, you can learn more about the rules and regulations of the responsible service of alcohol from a short course like SITHFAB021 – Provide responsible service of alcohol. There are also various formal courses in Australia that cover this unit as part of the curriculum. You can contact a reputed training provider to see if they offer this short course.     

Conclusion 

We hope that you will find this guide useful. Responsible service of alcohol plays a very important role in reducing alcohol-related crimes. You can thus make a positive contribution to your community by enforcing RSA regulations in your alcohol-serving business. We highly suggest pursuing a short course to learn more about the regulations.   

By following the steps in this article, businesses can ensure that they are providing a responsible service of alcohol to all types of customers. This will not help reduce the potential for alcohol-related harm. It will also create a safer environment for everyone, including customers and staff members. 

Please feel free to contact us if you need any information regarding RSA. We will try our best to help you.