Technician Training

There are many reasons to train employees, but quite often employers and training organisations use Health and Safety legislation as a means of getting employees to 'knuckle under'. To a point, Health and Safety legisaltion is a prime reason, as it provides some protection for the employer, when things go wrong.

However, it is not the only reason to train, there are many proven benefits of good training carried out by a qualified and experienced instructor, these include;

• Safer working environment
• Retention of staff
• Retention of customers
• Vehicles and equipment being used correctly and safely, thereby reducing costs.

The Institute’s primary objective is to improve the safety of roadside/recovery technicians across all sectors within the motor industry and it is our belief that it is morally wrong to send an employee out to do a dangerous job without the correct training.

It is essential when training roadside/recovery recovery technicians that three stages of training are always included, these are;

Basic Training:

Provides - The basic skills and job/safety knowledge required for the safe and efficient operation of the particular type of vehicle the technician will be using.

This should be delivered by a qualified instructor, and should always take place in a controlled environment set aside specifically for training delivery.

Specific Job Training:

Provides – knowledge of the working environment and experience of any special needs applications, and ancillaries, etc.

This may, where practicable, be combined or integrated with basic training, particularly in the case of experienced but "untrained" operators.

Familiarisation Training:

Provides - Actual operational ‘on the job’ experience under direct/close supervision.

This may be given by the operator’s normal supervisor. However, consideration should be given by the company to the supervisor’s ability to impart knowledge in the correct way to ensure learning takes place.

Familiarisation training should take place following basic and specific job training ‘on-the-job’ and under actual working conditions.

Where necessary alternative training may be given in addition to the above stages, these include;

Conversion Training:

This may be given to operators following basic/specific job training, where conversion from one type of recovery vehicle to another is required, e.g. Underlift to Transporter etc.

Refresher Training:

Periodic refresher training is recommended in order to identify any bad operating practices and to help maintain safe systems of work and technician standards.

It is essential that where new procedures, applications, ancillaries, or vehicles are involved further training should be given to familiarise operators with these additional/new functions.