Pre-Opening Compliance Checks Every Licensed Premises Should Complete
Opening your premises without completing the proper checks can expose your customers, employees, business and premises licence to unnecessary risk.
A blocked fire exit, failed CCTV system, missing licence document or outdated allergen information may appear to be a small oversight. However, these problems can quickly lead to accidents, complaints, enforcement visits or licensing action.
A structured pre-opening compliance check allows problems to be identified, recorded and corrected before customers enter the premises.
▶️ WATCH THE VIDEO
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE CHECKLIST
Use the Click2Comply Pre-Opening Compliance Checklist to help your managers complete and record the essential checks before opening.
WHY ARE PRE-OPENING CHECKS IMPORTANT?
Pre-opening checks provide managers with an opportunity to confirm that the premises is safe, properly staffed and operating in accordance with its premises licence.
They also create evidence that compliance is actively managed.
If an incident, complaint or inspection occurs, properly completed records may help demonstrate what was checked, who completed the check and what corrective action was taken.
PROTECTING THE LICENSING OBJECTIVES
Licensed premises in England and Wales are expected to promote four licensing objectives:
The prevention of crime and disorder
Public safety
The prevention of public nuisance
The protection of children from harm
Your daily checks should support these objectives and reflect the conditions attached to your particular premises licence.
The Government’s statutory licensing guidance explains the legal framework applying to premises licences and the promotion of the licensing objectives.
CHECK THE PREMISES LICENCE
Begin by checking that the premises licence summary is displayed in the required location.
Managers should confirm that:
The Designated Premises Supervisor details are correct
The permitted hours match the planned operation
Licensable activities are authorised
Relevant conditions are understood
Required records and documents are available
Any required notices or signs are displayed
Conditions may cover CCTV, door supervision, incident records, staff training, age verification, noise management and other operational matters.
The question every opening manager should ask is:
“Are we operating today exactly as our premises licence permits?”
WALK THE EMERGENCY ESCAPE ROUTES
Do not simply look towards the final exit. Physically walk each emergency escape route.
Check that:
Escape routes are unobstructed
Final exits open correctly
Fire doors are not improperly held open
Emergency lighting appears operational
Fire extinguishers are in position
Fire-alarm panels show no obvious fault
First-aid supplies are available
Staff understand the emergency arrangements
Government fire-safety guidance states that fire-risk assessments should consider emergency routes and exits, fire detection, emergency planning and staff training.
Any serious fire-safety failure should be escalated immediately. Affected areas should not be opened until they can be used safely.
TEST THE CCTV SYSTEM
The presence of cameras does not prove that the CCTV system is working.
Before opening, check that:
Live images are visible
All required cameras are operational
The displayed date and time are correct
Recorded footage can be replayed
Footage can be exported when required
A trained member of staff can operate the system
Where radios, body-worn cameras or other security equipment are required, these should also be checked.
Record faults and the action taken. If CCTV is required by a licence condition, managers should consider whether the premises can lawfully operate while the system is unavailable.
PREPARE ALCOHOL-SALE CONTROLS
Alcohol controls should be in place before the first sale.
Managers should confirm that:
Challenge 25 signs are displayed
The refusals register is accessible
Staff understand accepted identification
Staff know how to identify proxy sales
Staff understand how to refuse service
Authorised sellers have been identified
A responsible manager is available
A short pre-opening briefing can help staff make consistent decisions throughout the shift.
COMPLETE FOOD-SAFETY AND ALLERGEN CHECKS
Where food is prepared or served, managers should confirm that the required food-safety checks have been completed.
These may include:
Refrigerator and freezer temperatures
Hot-holding temperatures
Clean food-preparation areas
Stocked handwashing facilities
Clean and safe equipment
Waste-management arrangements
Pest-control concerns
Current allergen information
The Food Standards Agency advises food businesses to provide accurate allergen information and take appropriate steps to avoid cross-contamination.
Staff must never guess when responding to an allergen enquiry. If accurate information cannot be provided, the food should not be served.
WALK THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY
Managers should inspect the premises from a customer’s perspective.
Walk through:
The entrance
Queuing areas
Bars and service points
Seating areas
Stairways and corridors
Toilets
Smoking areas
Outside seating
Waste-storage and collection areas
Look for spills, broken glass, damaged furniture, poor lighting, obstructions and other hazards.
Where a dangerous defect cannot be corrected immediately, prevent access to the affected area.
CHECK NOISE AND PUBLIC-NUISANCE CONTROLS
Noise controls should be checked before music, televisions or entertainment systems are used.
Confirm that:
Any noise limiter is operational
The limiter has not been adjusted or bypassed
Only approved sound equipment is connected
Doors and windows are managed appropriately
External areas are clean and controlled
Staff understand any noise restrictions
Customer dispersal arrangements are understood
Early intervention is usually much easier than responding to complaints after disturbance has occurred.
GIVE EVERY CHECK AN OWNER
A tick alone provides limited evidence.
Your completed record should show:
The check completed
The person responsible
The result
Any fault identified
The action taken
Whether the fault was resolved
The manager’s final authorisation to open
There should be no failed check without a recorded action.
DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRE-OPENING COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST
Click2Comply has created a practical Pre-Opening Compliance Checklist for pubs, bars, restaurants, cafés and other licensed premises.
Use it to check:
Licensing documents and conditions
Fire and emergency arrangements
CCTV and security equipment
Alcohol-sale controls
Food safety and allergens
Customer areas
Noise-management arrangements
Staff readiness
Corrective actions and management sign-off
OPEN WITH CONFIDENCE
Effective pre-opening checks protect your customers, employees, business and premises licence.
They also help demonstrate that compliance is being actively managed rather than left to chance.
Complete the checks, record the result and correct failures before opening.
For practical hospitality compliance training, guidance and downloadable resources, visit Click2Comply at: https://click2comply.co.uk
Sources and further guidance:
GOV.UK licensing guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revised-guidance-issued-under-section-182-of-the-licensing-act-2003
GOV.UK fire-risk assessment guidance: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-fire-safety-your-responsibilities/fire-risk-assessments
Food Standards Agency allergen guidance: https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses
Comments