Responsible Alcohol Beverage Server Training
Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) is a community-based approach to reducing risks associated with retail alcohol environments. RBS has three essential elements: policy development, merchant education, and partnerships with law enforcement. The goal is to reduce alcohol-related problems by holding merchants accountable if they violate state and local laws, such as sales to minors and intoxicated patrons. Good RBS means that bars check IDs, refuse service to drunk patrons, and the community gets involved to ensure safe alcohol service and sales.
Research shows that simply training servers and sellers is not enough to create long-term change; a successful RBS program must be rooted in the community. This means conducting an assessment to find out which outlets are problematic. From this assessment comes a training program that is tailored to the community's concerns: off-sale (stores), on-sale (bars, restaurants), or special events (fairs, festivals).
Server training is part of RBS, but it must be connected to house policies that clearly define how alcohol is sold. Key management personnel must endorse these policies and everyone, from the doorman to the owner, must comply with local and state laws.
Alcohol Seller-Server Training
Alcohol Seller-Server Training is a form of occupational education typically provided to servers, sellers and consumers of alcohol to prevent intoxication, drunk driving and underage drinking. Usually underwritten by employers in the hospitality, food-service and related industries, this training is regulated and mandated by state and local laws predominantly in North America, and increasingly in other English-speaking countries such Australia. In North America the primary purpose of this employee-training is to mitigate liability during a lawsuit involving intoxication by providing evidence of intent on the part of the establishment that serves and sells alcoholic beverages – a "reasonable efforts defense."
Secondarily, this training is considered effective in reducing incidences of over serving patrons to the point of intoxication, and in preventing sales to minors. For the establishment paying for this training, the most immediate tangible benefit is a reduction in liquor liability insurance premiums paid by all organizations serving or selling alcoholic beverages. Another benefit is regulatory compliance. Increasingly in the United States (for example, in the States of Tennessee, Texas and Louisiana), licenses or permits to serve or sell alcoholic beverages are contingent on obtaining this form of training for employees.
In the United States, this training is taught by a wide range of educational providers, from individuals to the state. The cost, quality and content of training varies widely from program to program, and from state to state. The term "Alcohol Server Training", as a consequence, is often an umbrella attached to the overall intent of the training, if nothing else. This training usually carries some testing and certification, related to local state regulations, but few programs are provided nationally to any standard. Some states allow online testing for certification but others, like Louisiana require attendance at a class with a live trainer.
Arizona On-Premise Title 4 Manager Training & Certification Exam
California Responsible Beverage Service Training On/Off-Premise
Florida Alcohol Seller/Server On/Off Premise
Hawaii Alcohol Seller and Server Certification
Illinois Alcohol Seller/Server Basset Certification
Massachusetts Alcohol Seller Certification On/Off Premise
New York Alcohol Server Training On/Off Premise
New Jersey Alcohol Seller/Server On/Off Premise
Texas Alcohol Seller-Server TABC Certification
Wisconsin Responsible Alcohol Beverage Awareness Course
Indiana Beverage Server Training
Under the new Indiana Server Training laws [7.1-3-1.5-13(b)], all bartenders, alcohol servers and sellers of alcohol must complete a server training program in order to obtain or renew permits. Current alcohol employee permit holders must complete to be compliant with this law.
Utah Beverage Server Training
Utah law requires every person (serving alcohol in a restaurant, private club, bar or tavern, for on premise consumption) must complete an alcohol training and education seminar within 30 days of employment.
The Alcohol Server Training and Education Seminar focuses on topics such as:
- Teaching the server the effects of alcohol on the body and behavior.
- Recognition of a problem drinker.
- An overview of Utah’s alcohol laws.
- How to deal with problem customers.
- Discussion of alternative means of transportation for getting customers home safely to protect them and the community.
Industry Terms:
TABC, certification, rbs, responsible beverage service, abc, alcohol beverage control, alcoholic, alcohol, beverage, beer, seller-server, training, bartender, online certification, california, food safety, handler, manager, sexual harassment
