SITHFAB021 – Provide Responsible Service of Alcohol

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to responsibly sell, serve or supply alcohol.

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Mapping :

• Supersedes and is equivalent to SITHFAB002 – Provide responsible service of alcohol

 

Responsible practices must be undertaken wherever alcohol is sold, served or supplied, including where alcohol samples are served during on-site product tastings. This unit therefore applies to any workplace where alcohol is sold, served or supplied, including all types of hospitality venues, packaged liquor outlets and wineries, breweries and distilleries.

The unit applies to all levels of personnel involved in the sale, service, including promotional service and supply of alcohol in licensed premises. Those selling or serving alcohol may include food and beverage attendants; packaged liquor salespersons selling in person, over the phone or online; winery, brewery and distillery cellar door staff; delivery services and supplier sales representatives. The unit also applies to security staff who monitor customer behaviour and to the licensee who is ultimately responsible for responsible service of alcohol (RSA) management.

The unit incorporates the knowledge requirements, under state and territory liquor licensing law, for employees engaged in the sale, service or supply of alcohol.

Certification requirements differ across states and territories. In some cases, all people involved in the sale, service including promotional service and supply of alcohol in licensed premises must be certified in this unit. This can include the licensee and security staff.

This unit covers the RSA skill and knowledge requirements common to all States and Territories. Some legislative requirements and knowledge will differ across borders. In some cases, after completion of this unit, state and territory liquor authorities require candidates to complete a bridging course to address these specific differences.

Those developing training to support this unit must consult the relevant state or territory liquor licensing authority to determine any accreditation arrangements for courses, trainers and assessors.

Pre-requisite Unit

Nil

Competency Field

• Food and Beverage

Unit Sector :

• Hospitality

Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENTS	PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
Elements describe the essential outcomes	Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.
1. Follow the principles of responsible service of alcohol.	1.1 Identify the provisions of relevant state or territory legislation, licensing requirements, house policy and responsible service of alcohol principles. 1.2. Where appropriate, request and obtain acceptable proof of age prior to sale or service. 1.3. Provide accurate information to customers on alcoholic beverages according to organisation or house policy and government legislation. 1.4. Assist customers with information on a range of non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase. 1.5. Identify issues related to the sale or service of alcohol to different types of customers, especially those at risk.
2. Assist customers to drink within appropriate limits.	2.1. Use knowledge of industry requirements and professional standards to determine the volume for standard drinks or samples. 2.2. Use a professional manner to encourage customers to drink within appropriate limits. 2.3. Identify erratic drinking patterns as an early sign of possible intoxication and take appropriate action. 2.4. Monitor emotional and physical state of customers for signs of intoxication and signs of illicit or other drug use. 2.5. Where appropriate, offer food and non-alcoholic beverages in accordance with house policy. 2.6. Decline requests for alcohol to be dispensed in a manner that is irresponsible and advise customers of the reasons for the refusal.
3. Assess alcohol affected customers and identify those to whom sale or service must be refused.	3.1. Assess intoxication levels of customers using appropriate methods. 3.2. Identify factors that may affect individual responses to alcohol. 3.3. Identify customers to whom sale or service must be refused according to state and territory legislation.
4. Refuse to provide alcohol.	4.1. Refuse sale or service in a professional manner, state reasons for the refusal, and where appropriate point out signage. 4.2. Provide appropriate assistance to customers when refusing service. 4.3. Where appropriate, give customers a verbal warning and ask them to leave the premises according to organisational or house requirements, the specific situation, and provisions of state or territory legislation and regulations. 4.4. Use appropriate communication and conflict resolution skills to handle difficult situations. 4.5. Refer difficult situations beyond the scope of own responsibility to the appropriate person. 4.6. Promptly identify situations that pose a threat to the safety or security of colleagues, customers or property, and seek assistance from appropriate colleagues according to organisational or house policy.

Foundation Skills :

Foundation skills essential to performance in this unit, but not explicit in the performance criteria are listed here, along with a brief context statement.

• Reading skills to:
  • read at times complex information in:
  • general regulatory and advisory information issued by local, or state and territory liquor licensing authorities
  • in house policies and procedures
  • specific provisions of relevant state or territory legislation and licensing requirements
  • read a range of identification (ID) and proof of age documents, statutory signage, and warning signs and wording within in house policies and procedures.

• Oral communication skills to:
  • provide complex information on responsible service of alcohol laws in a way that is easily understandable for customers
  • speak firmly and clearly with intoxicated customers in a manner that de-escalates conflict.

• Numeracy skills to:
  • measure and calculate standard drinks or samples
  • determine customer’s age from date of birth on ID and proof of age documents.

• Learning skills to:
  • source relevant information on laws, regulations and codes of practice or conduct relating to responsible service of alcohol and continuously update knowledge of changes in that information.
• Teamwork skills to:
  • share customer information with team members to ensure proper responsible service of alcohol practices within the organisation.
• Self-management skills to:
  • deal with hostile and uncooperative customers in a professional manner and in line with organisational procedures.

Assessment requirements : –

Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:

• interpret the relevant legal requirements for responsible sale or service of alcohol for the local state or territory law
• source and explain two organisational or house policies and procedures that must be followed for the responsible sale or service of alcohol
• outline at least three early indicators of intoxication and outline suitable intervention strategies to prevent intoxication
• outline the procedure to refuse sale or service of alcohol and assist each of the following groups of intoxicated customers:

• those in emotional or physical distress
• those with no food consumption during extended service of alcohol
• those who appear to be under the effect of illicit substances or other drugs

• interpret organisational or house requirements and outline appropriate communication and conflict-resolution skills to be used when asking the following different intoxicated customers to leave the premises:

• one compliant customer
• one difficult customer refusing to leave.

Knowledge Evidence

Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:

• public interest reasons for implementing responsible service of alcohol (RSA) practices:
  • alcohol related harms and the benefits of RSA for the wider community

• ways of assessing intoxication:
  • observing changes in behaviour
  • observing emotional and physical state
  • monitoring drink purchases

• customers to whom sale or service should be refused according to house policy and state and territory legislation:
  • minors and those purchasing on behalf of minors
  • intoxicated persons

• impact of excessive drinking on:
  • local neighbourhood and community
  • hospitality venues and the liquor industry
  • premises and staff
  • other customers
  • particular groups of customers who are at heightened risk:
    • people affected by the consumption of illicit and other drugs
    • pregnant women
    • young people

• physical and mental health of individuals who drink to excess
• productivity of individuals who drink to excess
• those around the person drinking to excess:
  • family
  • friends
  • colleagues

• government agencies:
  • local police
  • health facilities
  • road authorities
  • local councils

• key agencies and how to source relevant information on laws, regulations and codes of practice or conduct
• methods of supplying information on responsible sale or service of alcohol to customers:
  • use of signage
  • verbally
  • websites

• current promotional and strategic community education campaigns developed and conducted by agencies and industry groups
• effects of alcohol on:
  • emotional behaviour
  • health
  • physical alertness

• factors that affect individual responses to alcohol:
  • food consumption
  • gender
  • general health
  • rate of consumption
  • other substances taken
  • weight

• time for effects of alcohol to be registered
• what constitutes a standard drink for different beverage types and acceptable measures of alcohol:
  • alcoholic percentages and standard drinks in a range of frequently sold alcoholic beverages and vessels

• indicators of erratic drinking patterns:
  • mixing a wide range of drink types
  • drinking quickly and in quick succession
  • ordering more than one drink for own consumption
  • consistently returning to the tasting site to request more samples
  • ordering multiple or large samples
  • ordering ‘triple shots’ or extra-large drinks

• communications methods used when refusing service:
  • using open and non-aggressive body language
  • using a number of strategies to defuse a situation:
    • taking the person away from an audience
    • blaming the refusal on ‘the law’

•  

• monitoring the reactions of other customers
• picking early warning signs and intervening before the person is intoxicated
• not using physical touch or aggressive body language
• remaining calm and using tactful language
• appropriate means of assistance to be offered when refusing service:
  • assisting the customer to connect with their designated driver or companions
  • offering alternatives to alcohol including food or non-alcoholic drinks
  • organising or providing relevant information on transport for customers wishing to leave

• principles of responsible delivery of packaged liquor::
  • ensuring adequate instruction to person delivering liquor
  • seeking proof that the delivery is being received by a person over the age of 18
  • procedures for delivering alcohol to unoccupied premises

• purpose and benefits of RSA
• principles of harm minimisation
• strategies to minimise the harm associated with liquor abuse:
  • those laid down in legislation or codes of conduce
  • organisational policies designed to reduce alcohol-related harm in the community

• key provisions of liquor laws, regulations or house policies at a depth relevant to entry-level roles in licensed premises and the following general requirements and information that must be considered for the relevant State or Territory:
  • legislative definition of intoxication; intoxicated person or unduly intoxicated
  • role of individual staff members and supervisors or managers in providing responsible service of alcohol, and seller or server duty of care and liability
  • content of RSA warning signs
  • requirements or practices relating to the remote sale and delivery of alcohol sales generated via the telephone, fax, email, internet or mail
  • requirements for proof of age under local legislation
  • provisions for retaining and reporting falsified proof of age documents
  • provisions for requiring someone to leave the premises
  • procedures for barring customers from premises
  • opening and closing hour provisions
  • requirements for monitoring noise and disturbances in and around licensed premises
  • personal requirements to maintain currency in RSA certification
  • products that are banned or undesirable when responsibly selling or serving alcohol
  • personal and business implications of breaching any laws or regulations
  • offences relating to the sale or service of alcohol and ramifications of non-compliance with the law and industry codes for the organisation, licensee and individual staff members

• legal drink and drive limits customised to state or territory legislation
• organisation specific policies and procedures for the responsible sale or service of alcohol.

Assessment Conditions

Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates competency in the unit outcomes.

Assessment must ensure access to:

• template organisational policies and procedures for the responsible sale, service or supply of alcohol
• signage:
  • signs that comply with wording required by legislation
  • standard promotional signs issued by the relevant state or territory licensing authority

• information or plain English fact sheets distributed by government regulators or industry bodies

Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations’ requirements for assessors; and:

• have worked in industry for at least three years where they have applied the skills and knowledge of this unit of competency.

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