How to Keep People Safe When Running a Bar or Night Club

If you operate a bar, night club, or a pub, you’re inherently responsible for the people inside the building. This includes customers as well as the employees who keep things running. However, as people relax and potentially drink alcohol, they might loosen their inhibitions. This makes things more fun, but it does add a measure of risk as well.

This means that, if you want to make sure that people are safe and continue to have a good time, you need to put some measures in place. Here are a few suggestions that bar, night club, and pub owners can consider.

Stick to Drinking Laws

One thing that makes sure that your customers and your business stay safe is to be aware of local drinking laws and stick to them. First, before you can sell alcohol and serve it to people, you need to have specific licenses. You should look into the different licenses and certificates that your establishment needs. As well as a license to sell and serve alcohol, this might include licenses to play certain music and to serve food.

Once you have the right licenses, you’re one step closer to opening your bar or club.

There are other drinking laws that you should adhere to, depending on your local area. One of the most important laws is the legal drinking age. In the USA, the legal drinking age is 21 years old, and you should ask for ID if you suspect that a customer is under 21 or, in some areas, slightly older. A “check 25” rule checks everyone who looks 25 or younger, even if they can legally drink at an earlier age. In other parts of the world, the drinking age might be 18 or a different age.

Another potential drinking law to consider is whether someone is already drunk before you serve them. Again, different areas might have different specific laws, but as a general rule, an establishment can’t serve someone who is obviously impaired to the point that they can’t make decisions or are causing issues. This is subjective and it can lead to difficult conversations, but your staff may need to cut people off if they’re drinking too much.

Illegal Substances and Drink Spiking

Another thing to keep an eye out for is the use of illegal substances like drugs. Night clubs are especially prone to drug deals and abuse taking place, mainly because they’re inherently chaotic areas and people do want to cut loose and have fun. However, mixing illegal substances and alcohol can lead to increased dangers.

This might include people behaving even more intoxicated and potentially causing problems because they’re under the influence of specific drugs that make them aggressive or confused. Or it could be that people accidentally overdose or take drugs that damage their bodies and put them at more risk of collapsing or developing a health condition. 

Some party drugs have side effects that can risk people’s health in different ways.

Another thing to be aware of is that some people might have their drinks spiked, so they end up taking certain drugs without realizing. As well as the obvious health concerns, this can lead to other offenses, including assault. People who have been spiked with specific drugs like rohypnol can be a lot more vulnerable to theft, assault, or even worse.

So, what can club and bar owners do to combat these problems? Being aware is the first step, as well as making sure that customers are aware of potential dangers. Your employees should be trained to recognize the signs of spiking, such as people who suddenly act much more intoxicated than they should. You should also raise awareness with the public by encouraging groups to keep an eye on each other and putting posters in areas like bathrooms so they can spot the signs.

Security Cameras

Another good way to protect your business and your customers from illegal practices is with security cameras in areas that are more secluded. Cameras can deter potential criminals and, if someone does commit a crime, a camera can help the police to work out what has happened.

Put security cameras inside and outside your establishment. Good places to put them include near the entrance, near any car parking if your building has it, around the sides of the building, near the bar, a few around the main rooms of the building, and in corridors leading to the restrooms. 

This means that most of your establishment is covered and, more importantly, your employees are as safe as possible. If there are any crimes, they will be easier to report.

Protecting Customers From Bad Dates

Drink spiking is a common crime, but some customers end up having bad experiences on dates or just meeting people at bars and clubs. Again, people are often simultaneously more vulnerable and less restrained when they’re drinking, which can lead to some negative experiences. 

Often, a bad date is just that. You don’t have a great time, but it’s nothing too serious and you can move on with your life. In these situations, most people are perfectly fine to deal with them alone.

However, some people end up in scary or uncomfortable situations. Again, this doesn’t mean a crime has been committed, but it’s still a good idea to make sure that people can feel safe in your establishment. Give people options to tell your employees if they feel threatened.

In this situation, your employees can either call a taxi and help people to discretely leave and go home, or, if necessary, they can remove the person who is causing trouble from the establishment.

Security Staff

Depending on the type of establishment you run, it might be necessary and appropriate to hire security staff and bouncers. 

Bouncers have a few different purposes, and a lot of it comes down to making sure that your business, your employees, and your customers are safe. First, they can be stationed near the door so they can control who comes in and out. This is important in very busy clubs and bars because buildings have a fire safety limit. 

Simply put, while more customers sound good, you are legally required to make sure the building isn’t too crowded so that, in the event of a fire or another emergency, people can more safely leave. Your bouncers might also help people out in this situation by holding the doors open and showing them the way out.

Another reason to control the flow of people coming in is to make things easier for your staff and more pleasant for the people inside. Too many customers can stress your employees because they aren’t able to keep up with demand. This can lead to unhappy and frustrated customers, which can also make people more likely to cause trouble. 

Finally, if someone has caused trouble in the past, door control allows bouncers to make sure that banned people don’t come back onto the premises.

It’s also a good idea to have some security inside some premises. This way, if people do cause trouble, they can be removed as quickly and as safely as possible, allowing other customers to continue to enjoy themselves.

Obviously, not every establishment needs a lot of security. Typically, you need security if you’re in a busy area and you get a lot of business. Otherwise, one person might do just fine, especially if you’re in a quieter area.

It’s important to make sure that people who are acting as security guards and bouncers have the right training. This means that they’re able to react in a way that’s as safe as possible. If it comes down to it, it’s also important to make sure that your employees know when to phone the police or other emergency services for further assistance.

Events at Your Bar or Club

Depending on your establishment, you might put on events at your bar or club. This might be a live band or a comedy act, and it’s a fantastic way to bring in more people and spread the word about your business. You can have it as part of what sets your business apart from others in the area.

While these events and acts are fantastic for business, they can present a security hazard, especially if they draw in a massive crowd. To cater for this, you might need to hire more employees.

In some situations, a crowd barrier can be a good way to control the people attending an event, whether it’s a small indoor show or something more significant. If you often have a lot of people at your establishment, then it might be a good idea to install barriers outside your business to better control the flow of people coming in. 

There is a huge range of niches in the hospitality industry, including different types of bars, clubs, pubs, and other places for people to relax and have a good time. If you’re able to keep everyone safe, you’re more likely to profit and succeed.