The NTDA is celebrating that it has now issued more than 9000 REACT licences to commercial tyre technicians who have been trained and assessed as competent to work safely at the roadside across the UK.
REACT Exceeds 9000 and Expands into the Republic of Ireland
The safety of technicians working at the roadside has always been a cause for concern in the tyre industry; technicians can be called out at any hour, in all weather conditions, to work on a vehicle often mere yards away from speeding traffic. It is a sad fact, that prior to the introduction of REACT in 2011, some technicians were seriously injured and others killed while working at the roadside. Thankfully REACT has put a stop to such tragedies.
REACT training is available through a network of NTDA-approved training providers which includes a number of leading international tyre manufacturers as well as independent training providers and in-company trainers and currently, the Association is receiving, on average, 40 REACT licence applications per week.
A very recent development has seen the NTDA’s sister organisation the Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA) launch REACT in the Republic. 10 commercial tyre technicians successfully completed the course and were issued with their jointly branded NTDA / ITIA certificates and licences.
Commenting on the success of REACT to date, the NTDA’s Stefan Hay said; “We hit the 9000 licences issued figure and rapidly exceeded it. The really great news is that this means more than 9000 of our hardworking technicians will feel safer and be safer when working roadside. Having our colleagues in the Republic of Ireland also adopt the scheme is excellent news, and we anticipate that we will see a lot more applications from Ireland arriving very soon. Our many licences within the Tyre Technician Professional Development Scheme are in demand and to complement the success of REACT, we have also issued, for example, more than 2000 commercial tyre technician licences (LCTT). In an environment of major skills shortages across the trade, it is good to know that so many companies continue to invest in both the safety and professional development of their employees.”
