Patron numbers often increase during the busy festive season. During this time you should be mindful of your obligations to provide a safe environment for patrons and staff, both within and around your venue. You should also ensure staff are practicing the responsible service of alcohol at all times. Consider these key tips from OLGR:
Crowd control: Don’t allow areas to become congested and manage patron numbers and queues. Employ the right ratio of security to patrons. Deal with any incidents quickly and record them in an incident register (if required).
Drinking water: Most licensees are required to make free drinking water available to patrons. Even where not mandatory, it is a good practice to follow.
Noise: Increased patron numbers can create increased noise, which may disturb your neighbours. Keep noise levels down by discouraging people from lingering outside your venue. For example, have strategies in place to ensure patrons are transported away from your licensed premises when they leave.
Patron behaviour: Look for disorderly and intoxicated patrons. Remember, it is illegal to serve alcohol to, or allow alcohol to be consumed by, an unduly intoxicated or disorderly person.
Refusal of service: You have the right to refuse service or entry if:
- a patron is unduly intoxicated or disorderly
- the safety of the patron or others is in jeopardy
- you consider the refusal of service warranted (you are obliged to refuse service to unduly intoxicated or disorderly patrons).
You also have the right to ask a person to leave a licensed premises if the person is unduly intoxicated, disorderly or creating a disturbance.