Unit of competency Outline
Date retreived
22/07/2026 2:42 PM AWST
22/07/2026 2:42 PM AWST
Whilst all efforts are made to provide accurate and timely information from the relevant source/documentation, please be aware that the information supplied may not be the most current version. The accuracy of the detail has not been confirmed by the Department and therefore should not be relied upon without first confirming the contents.
Provide responsible service of alcohol
Provide responsible service of alcohol
Unit of competency
National Code
SITHFAB201
SITHFAB201
State Code
WF633
WF633
TGA Status
Replaced
Replaced
DTWD Status
Replaced
Replaced
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
09/10/2014
Field of Education
110103 - Food And Beverage Service
Original Release Date
09/10/2014
Nominal Hours
20
Description
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to responsibly sell or serve alcohol.
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
1. Sell or serve alcohol responsibly.
- 1.1 Sell or serve alcohol according to provisions of relevant state or territory legislation, licensing requirements and responsible service of alcohol principles.
- 1.2 Provide accurate information to customers on alcoholic beverages according to organisation or house policy and government legislation, including types, strengths, standard drinks and the alcoholic percentages of a range of frequently sold alcoholic beverages.
- 1.3 Assist customers with information on the range of non alcoholic beverages available for purchase.
- 1.4 Identify issues related to the sale and service of alcohol to different types of customers, especially those at risk, and incorporate them into sales or service.
2. Assist customers to drink within appropriate limits.
- 2.1 Prepare and serve standard drinks or samples according to industry requirements.
- 2.2 Encourage customers courteously and diplomatically to drink within appropriate limits.
- 2.3 Recognise 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 ill effects of illicit or other drug usage.
- 2.5 Where appropriate, offer food and non alcoholic beverages.
- 2.6 Politely decline requests for alcohol to be dispensed in a manner that is irresponsible, or which encourages the rapid or excessive consumption of alcohol, and advise customers of the reasons for the refusal.
3. Assess alcohol affected customers and identify customers to whom sale or service must be refused.
- 3.1 Assess intoxication levels of customers using a number of methods, including observing changes in behaviour, observing emotional and physical state, and monitoring noise levels and drink purchases.
- 3.2 When assessing intoxication, take into account 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, including minors, those purchasing on behalf of minors, intoxicated persons, and persons affected by the consumption of illicit and other drugs.
- 3.4 Where appropriate, request and obtain acceptable proof of age prior to sale or service.
4. Refuse to provide alcohol.
- 4.1 Refuse service in a polite manner and state reasons for the refusal.
- 4.2 Speak to intoxicated customers in a suitable and consistent manner, minimising confrontation and arguments and point out signage.
- 4.3 Provide appropriate assistance to customers when refusing service.
- 4.4 Where appropriate, give customers a verbal warning and ask them to leave the premises according to organisation or house requirements, the specific situation and provisions of state or territory legislation and regulations.
- 4.5 Use appropriate communication and conflict resolution skills to handle difficult situations.
- 4.6 Refer difficult situations beyond the scope of individual responsibility to the appropriate person.
- 4.7 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 policy.
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Accurate information may be provided to customers:
by use of fact sheets and advertising material that comply with legislative requirements
by use of mandatory signage
verbally.
Issues may include:
demeanour and mood
familiarity with specific customers
perceived effects of illicit and other drug usage
perceived health status
physical stature
social context.
Those at risk may include:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
minors
people affected by the consumption of illicit and other drugs
people from nonEnglish speaking backgrounds
women
young customers.
Standard drinksshould be measured using:
appropriate nip measures
appropriately sized sample glasses
electronic dispensing and measuring devices.
Samples may include tastings of any item for sale in a:
brewery
distillery
hospitality venue
retail liquor outlet
winery.
Erratic drinking patterns may include:
mixing a wide range of drink types
drinking quickly and asking for more immediately
ordering more than one drink for selfconsumption
mixing alcohol consumption with consumption of prescription or illicit drugs
consistently returning to the tasting site to request more samples
ordering multiple samples
ordering large samples
ordering ‘triple shots’ or extra large drinks.
Requests for drinks to be dispensed in a manner that is irresponsible,or which encourages the rapid or excessive consumption of liquor include:
jugs of spirits and mixers
large samples
laybacks
multiple samples for selfconsumption
rocket fuel
shooters
test tubes
yard glasses.
Changes in behaviour may involve the customer becoming:
aggressive
disorderly
quarrelsome
violent.
Factors include:
food intake
gender
general health
other substances taken, especially illicit and other drugs
rate of consumption
weight.
Proof of age includes:
current drivers licence
passport
photo card
proof of age card.
Intoxicated denotes:
drunk
those to whom service may be refused due to excessive consumption of alcohol
‘unduly intoxicated’ may also be used in some state or territory legislation.
Signage may include:
signs produced inhouse that comply with wording required by legislation
standard promotional signs issued by the relevant state or territory licensing authority
warning notices within any form of advertising.
Appropriate assistance may include:
assisting the customer to connect with their designated driver
offering alternatives to alcohol, including food
offering to sell or serve nonalcoholic drinks
organising transport for customers wishing to leave
providing information on taxis.
Communication and conflict resolution skills may include:
using open and non-aggressive body language
using a number of strategies to diffuse a situation, such as taking the person away from an audience or 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 body language
remaining calm and using tactful language.
Accurate information may be provided to customers:
by use of fact sheets and advertising material that comply with legislative requirements
by use of mandatory signage
verbally.
Issues may include:
demeanour and mood
familiarity with specific customers
perceived effects of illicit and other drug usage
perceived health status
physical stature
social context.
Those at risk may include:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
minors
people affected by the consumption of illicit and other drugs
people from nonEnglish speaking backgrounds
women
young customers.
Standard drinksshould be measured using:
appropriate nip measures
appropriately sized sample glasses
electronic dispensing and measuring devices.
Samples may include tastings of any item for sale in a:
brewery
distillery
hospitality venue
retail liquor outlet
winery.
Erratic drinking patterns may include:
mixing a wide range of drink types
drinking quickly and asking for more immediately
ordering more than one drink for selfconsumption
mixing alcohol consumption with consumption of prescription or illicit drugs
consistently returning to the tasting site to request more samples
ordering multiple samples
ordering large samples
ordering ‘triple shots’ or extra large drinks.
Requests for drinks to be dispensed in a manner that is irresponsible,or which encourages the rapid or excessive consumption of liquor include:
jugs of spirits and mixers
large samples
laybacks
multiple samples for selfconsumption
rocket fuel
shooters
test tubes
yard glasses.
Changes in behaviour may involve the customer becoming:
aggressive
disorderly
quarrelsome
violent.
Factors include:
food intake
gender
general health
other substances taken, especially illicit and other drugs
rate of consumption
weight.
Proof of age includes:
current drivers licence
passport
photo card
proof of age card.
Intoxicated denotes:
drunk
those to whom service may be refused due to excessive consumption of alcohol
‘unduly intoxicated’ may also be used in some state or territory legislation.
Signage may include:
signs produced inhouse that comply with wording required by legislation
standard promotional signs issued by the relevant state or territory licensing authority
warning notices within any form of advertising.
Appropriate assistance may include:
assisting the customer to connect with their designated driver
offering alternatives to alcohol, including food
offering to sell or serve nonalcoholic drinks
organising transport for customers wishing to leave
providing information on taxis.
Communication and conflict resolution skills may include:
using open and non-aggressive body language
using a number of strategies to diffuse a situation, such as taking the person away from an audience or 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 body language
remaining calm and using tactful language.
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the ability to:
responsibly sell or serve alcohol on multiple occasions to customers
satisfy the legal requirements for responsible sale or service of alcohol for the local state or territory law
follow organisational policies and procedures for the responsible service of alcohol
demonstrate knowledge of:
reasons for and benefits of responsible service of alcohol
principles of responsible service of alcohol and harm minimisation
the key provisions of liquor laws and regulations at a depth relevant to the scope of job responsibility within licensed premises
the ramifications of noncompliance with the law and industry codes for the organisation, licensee and individual staff members.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure use of:
a real or simulated workplace
a range of industry equipment to demonstrate standard drink measures or samples
relevant and current publications, signage, information and plain English fact sheets distributed by government regulators and industry bodies.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess the practical skills and knowledge required to sell or serve alcohol responsibly.
The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
role-plays or case studies simulating customers, intoxicated patrons and alcohol that allow assessment of the individual’s ability to:
interact with customers and explain organisational legal requirements to sell or serve alcohol responsibly
explain in-house policies for the service of alcohol
refuse service to people to whom alcohol cannot be served
speak to intoxicated customers to minimise confrontation
case studies and problemsolving activities to assess the individual’s ability to respond to:
situations where customers are engaging in erratic drinking patterns
signage deficiencies
situations that pose a safety threat
written or oral questioning to assess knowledge of legislation and all other knowledge components of this unit
review of portfolios of evidence and thirdparty workplace reports of onthejob performance by the individual.
Guidance information for assessment
The assessor should design integrated assessment activities to holistically assess this unit with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role, for example:
SITHFAB202 Operate a bar
SITHFAB302 Conduct a product tasting for alcoholic beverages
SITHFAB303 Prepare and serve cocktails
SITHFAB304 Provide advice on beers, spirits and liqueurs
SITHFAB305 Provide advice on Australian wines
SITHFAB306 Provide advice on imported wines
SITHFAB307 Provide table service of food and beverage.
Overview of assessment
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the ability to:
responsibly sell or serve alcohol on multiple occasions to customers
satisfy the legal requirements for responsible sale or service of alcohol for the local state or territory law
follow organisational policies and procedures for the responsible service of alcohol
demonstrate knowledge of:
reasons for and benefits of responsible service of alcohol
principles of responsible service of alcohol and harm minimisation
the key provisions of liquor laws and regulations at a depth relevant to the scope of job responsibility within licensed premises
the ramifications of noncompliance with the law and industry codes for the organisation, licensee and individual staff members.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure use of:
a real or simulated workplace
a range of industry equipment to demonstrate standard drink measures or samples
relevant and current publications, signage, information and plain English fact sheets distributed by government regulators and industry bodies.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess the practical skills and knowledge required to sell or serve alcohol responsibly.
The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
role-plays or case studies simulating customers, intoxicated patrons and alcohol that allow assessment of the individual’s ability to:
interact with customers and explain organisational legal requirements to sell or serve alcohol responsibly
explain in-house policies for the service of alcohol
refuse service to people to whom alcohol cannot be served
speak to intoxicated customers to minimise confrontation
case studies and problemsolving activities to assess the individual’s ability to respond to:
situations where customers are engaging in erratic drinking patterns
signage deficiencies
situations that pose a safety threat
written or oral questioning to assess knowledge of legislation and all other knowledge components of this unit
review of portfolios of evidence and thirdparty workplace reports of onthejob performance by the individual.
Guidance information for assessment
The assessor should design integrated assessment activities to holistically assess this unit with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role, for example:
SITHFAB202 Operate a bar
SITHFAB302 Conduct a product tasting for alcoholic beverages
SITHFAB303 Prepare and serve cocktails
SITHFAB304 Provide advice on beers, spirits and liqueurs
SITHFAB305 Provide advice on Australian wines
SITHFAB306 Provide advice on imported wines
SITHFAB307 Provide table service of food and beverage.
Replaces
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| S6390 | SITHFAB009A | Provide responsible service of alcohol | Unit of competency |
Replaced By
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWR87 | SITHFAB002 | Provide responsible service of alcohol | Unit of competency |