NTDA REACT achieves 5000th certificate milestone

The NTDA Roadside Emergency Action Concerning Technicians (REACT) scheme hit a new milestone on Tuesday 18 September when Commercial Tyre Technician Keiran Smith of Lodge Tyre Company in Stafford received the 5000th certificate and Licence to Work Safely at the Roadside at Lodge House, the company’s impressive corporate headquarters in Stafford.

Smith, who is from Worcester and works at Lodge Tyre’s Droitwich depot on Berryhill Industrial Estate, was trained by Roadside Safety Training UK Ltd one of the founding members of the REACT scheme.

Keiran said: “The REACT training was excellent and is definitely needed. Working at the roadside can be tough, weather conditions, traffic, poor drivers can make it dangerous, but having the right training really helps to ensure our safety. I really enjoy the job and the freedom I have to deal directly with our customers and their drivers and Lodge is a great company to work for.”

Launched in 2011 in response to a number of tragic deaths of commercial tyre technicians at the roadside, REACT has become the leading safety initiative for technicians across the UK and, more recently, in the Republic of Ireland. Supported by leading tyre manufacturers, distributors, Highways England and the Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA), the REACT Licence to Work Safely at the Roadside has become the de facto licence for those technicians responding to roadside tyre incidents.

NTDA Chief Executive Stefan Hay said: “It was great to meet Keiran. He is a true ambassador for Commercial Tyre Technicians as he is professional, articulate, dedicated and loyal to his employer. I think he is a very worthy recipient of REACT Licence 5000! Of course, we’ve already moved on and within the last couple of days we’ve received 53 further licence applications.”

REACT is now part of the NTDA’s wider licence portfolio managed under the Tyre Technician Professional Development Scheme and do date the Association has issued more than 250 licences to both Commercial Tyre Technicians, including specialist licences to Agricultural and Earthmover fitters, and Retail Tyre Technicians working in tyre centres.

Stefan Hay concluded: “It’s fantastic that our licensing schemes are getting so much support. We now have many of the world’s leading tyre manufacturers, leading NTDA tyre distributor members and professional training organisations participating.  There can be no doubt, that the training, assessment of competency and licensing approach we have introduced is now underpinning the Association’s mission to raise standards and enhance the professionalism of the hard-working technicians who are keeping Britain’s motorists on the road!”