Patron and customer safety
Licensees have a legal obligation to provide a safe environment for patrons and staff. This applies not only to your premises but also to the surrounding neighbourhood.
You are legally obligated to provide a safe environment for your patrons and disciplinary action could be initiated if you breach your responsibilities.
Creating a safer environment will not only lessen the risk of legal, health and social concerns, but people will also see you are committed to the responsible service of alcohol.
Useful information about staff training, venue safety, and patron behaviour can be found in the Patron safety and you fact sheet.
Drinking water for patrons
Making drinking water available to patrons is the responsibility of every licensee and is essential to minimising harm and intoxication. Under the Liquor Act 2002 licensees are currently required to engage in practices and promotions that encourage the responsible consumption of liquor and to provide a safe environment for patrons. Providing free water is an example of such a practice.
On 29 November 2010, the Liquor Regulation 2002 was amended to make it mandatory for commercial hotel licensees, community club licensees, bar licensees, licensees catering to a commercial public event and any licensee who trades after 12 midnight to provide cold drinking water free of charge to any patron who requests it, at any time the premises is trading. All other licensees must make cold drinking water available either free of charge or at a reasonable cost to patrons when the premises is trading.
Refusal of service
Licensees may refuse service to patrons for the following reasons:
- the law requires it - for example, if the person is a minor or unduly intoxicated or disorderly
- safety of the patron - the consumption of liquor is placing their safety in jeopardy
- safety of others - the consumption of liquor by a particular patron is placing the safety of other people in jeopardy
- civil liability.
You should be sure of your reasons for refusal of service and these reasons should not be discriminatory (race, sex, etc.) A person has the right to take the matter to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission if they feel they have been subjected to discrimination.
More information can be found in the Refusal of service fact sheet.
Risk-assessed management plan
Risk-assessed management plans (RAMPs) have been introduced as a harm minimisation initiative.
A RAMP outlines how the licensee or permittee will manage the premises in a way that will minimise harm caused by alcohol abuse and misuse.
What does a RAMP need to address?
- principal activity to be conducted on the premises
- maximum hours of operation
- details of responsible service of alcohol initiatives
- details of participation in a liquor accord in the locality (if applicable)
- details of security (how many, when, for how long, etc.)
- provision of food (types of food, when it will be available, etc.)
- staff training
- if amplified or outdoor entertainment is proposed, how the impact on the surrounding locality is reduced.
Applications that must include a RAMP
- new licence applications
- extended trading hours approvals
- permanent variation of licence applications
- permanent changes in licensed area
- transfers of existing licence
- restricted liquor permits.
More information on RAMPs can be found in the Risk-assessed management plan fact sheet.
Contacts
- General liquor licence inquiries: phone 13 QGOV (13 74 68)
- Liquor licence compliance inquiries: email liquor-compliance-enquiries@deedi.qld.gov.au
Last reviewed 18 July 2011