What is the Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) law regarding intoxicated persons?
Under RSA, it is illegal to provide alcohol to an already intoxicated person. This law applies to Sherpa drivers delivering alcohol to recipients, and therefore it is your responsibility to check for intoxication.
What should I do if the recipient appears intoxicated?
If you arrive and the person is noticeably intoxicated or you suspect intoxication, you must not leave the alcohol. Politely refuse to deliver the order, say you are required by law to return the alcohol to the store, and log a paid return delivery back to the store.
Important: your safety is most important, do not argue with the customer if they appear intoxicated as they may become hostile. State your reasons for refusing to handover the alcohol and leave.
What to say?
I’m sorry, under RSA law I cannot leave these products with you, if I do I'll lose my work and have to pay a large fine. Please speak with the store you ordered the items from to arrange a refund or re-delivery at a later date.
Possible Signs of Intoxication
| Appearance | Balance | Speech | Coordination | Behaviour |
|
Breath smells of alcohol |
Unsteady on feet or falling down |
Slurring words |
Fumbling their license |
Rude/offensive language |
|
Person smells of alcohol |
Swaying/staggering |
Loss of train of thought | Difficulty accessing their wallet | Annoying or provoking others |
|
Red eyes |
Bumping into or knocking over objects or people |
Rambling or disjointed conversation | Difficulty opening or closing the door | Argumentative |
|
Difficulty walking in a straight line |
Difficulty paying attention |
Dropping objects |
Drowsiness |
|
|
|
|
Overly friendly |