Training scheme urged for sellers of alcohol

The Government has been urged to introduce a national training scheme for people who sell alcohol to ensure their safety.

The National Off-Licence Association (NOffLA) has argued there is a moral obligation to make sure retail staff are prepared for potential difficult situations.

Organisation chairwoman Evelyn Jones said people selling alcohol also have a certain responsibility to society and proper training should be mandatory.

“The Government must wake up to this danger,” said Ms Jones. “They have nothing to lose and everything to gain from introducing mandatory training.”

She pointed out that other sectors, including building, delicatessen, and transport, require staff to be trained and the same should apply to alcohol retailers.

“We simply must ensure that anyone who is in a position of responsibility like this is fully trained and fully aware of the potential dangers they operate in,” said Ms Jones.

NOffLA launched its own online training scheme for workers selling alcohol last year.

It said its e-learning programme could be delivered direct to businesses with no extra cost to bosses.

The online scheme includes information on the law relating to alcohol sales and guidance for staff on dealing with difficult situations.

Around 269 workers have taken the course in the last year, and more than a 1,000 have been trained since NOffLA’s original scheme was launched.