Bar brawls seem to have become a common occurrence in Oz regardless of the fact that police are out in full force each weekend attempting to keep revellers at bay. It is concerning to think that in Australia 16 per cent of bars account for 60 per cent of bar brawls. Obviously certain licenced venues are not concerned about the safety of their customers and employees and it is unlikely these venues are enforcing Responsible Service of Alcohol rules.

Drinkers who engage in bar brawls are not deterred by negative consequences (such as minor injuries, tension among friends, or trouble with the police), all of which tend to be delayed. The perceived rewards are more immediate and include feeling right about fighting for a worthy cause, increasing group cohesion among friends, getting attention, feeling powerful and having entertaining stories to tell. Also most often these people are so intoxicated that they have been freed from all inhibitions so the consequences of their actions is the furthest thought from their mind.

Binge drinking and underage drinking have been identified as 2 of the major contributors to alcohol fuelled violence. Binge drinking in particular is a problem contributing to the major of bar fights.

Responsible service of alcohol laws dictate that drinkers be cut off after reaching a number drinks, regardless of the situation or how irate they may become at being denied another drink. If bar fights are something that happen often in your establishment, undoubtedly it will quickly develop a bad reputation and more responsible patrons will avoid it. Therefore waiters need to know how to properly recognize and respond to drunken patrons.

Tact is needed and you should always remain respectful and understand that the person is intoxicated and probably unreasonable at this stage.

You may need to remove a patron from the bar if they refuse to accept your decision to stop serving them.  That is why the best thing to do is to inform the customer beforehand that they will not be allowed more alcohol. You could politely mention to the customer that they will only be served one or two more. Then you should inform other servers as well as any bouncers or security along with your manager that a particular patron is close to their limit. It is much easier for a customer to understand this news before they are extremely intoxicated and unmanageable.

In order to learn all the other responsibilities of an RSA employee and how to reduce the number of bar fights and violence associated with your bar or licenced venue, every staff member needs to undergo Responsible Service of Alcohol training. Each employee’s certificate should be kept on file at the premises to be provided to authorities as and when requested. This training will teach employees all the skills needed to avoid situations such as bar brawls and alcohol fuelled violence as well as the consequences for their actions.

If you or any of your workers have not undergone the RSA course, you need to do so immediately not only to avoid legal prosecution but also to ensure that your venue remains safe and profitable.  Visit our homepage to get more information.