The delivery of customer service in an effective and professional manner.
Includes the need to develop a positive working relationship with both the customer and colleagues and the need for early recognition of the customer’s needs. Theory
• The importance of effective communication
• Different forms of communication used within the recovery industry
• Identification of potentially dissatisfied customers
• Identification of the different types of customers and their needs

Practical Skill Instruction
• Demonstrate through role playing the skills learned

Safety at the roadside, the correct procedure to approach the scene and carrying out a risk assessment prior to recovering or repairing the vehicle.
Theory
• Roles and responsibilities with regards to safety at the roadside
• How to approach the scene
• Risk assessment prior to recovery at the roadside
• Vehicle driver and passenger management and welfare
• Procedures and checks prior to leaving the scene

Practical Skill Instruction
• Demonstrate through role playing the skills learned

The use of underlift units as part of a routine recovery procedure.
The underlift unit variations and the health and safety requirements for their use.
Operators will gain the necessary skills and become familiar with the component parts of the underlift unit.
Theory
• Health and safety as it applies to underlift units
• Variations in underlift units and their performance
• Loading procedures and checks when using underlift units
• Towing procedures and release of casualty vehicle
• Equipment checks and hazards associated with underlift units

Practical Skill Instruction
• Demonstrate successfully the deployment and use of the equipment, loading, transporting and unloading of the casualty vehicle

The use of transporters to carry out routine light vehicle recoveries.
Operators will be able to identify the different types of transporters and their technical features.
Theory
• Health and safety as it applies to transporters
• Types of transporters, their performance and advantages
• Loading procedures using a fixed bed transporter
• Loading procedures using a slide bed transporter
• Equipment checks, hazards loading and unloading the casualty vehicle

Practical Skill Instruction
• Demonstrate successfully the deployment and use of the equipment. The loading, transporting and unloading of the casualty vehicle

Advanced winching is required to safely place the casualty vehicle in a position to be loaded onto a recovery vehicle.
The safety and theory of operation of winches up to and including 8000 lbs is covered in this module.
Instruction in the identification and use of ropes and ancillary equipment relevant to the recovery of light vehicles including the calculations of resistances and loads.
Theory
• Health and safety as it applies to the use of winches
• Types of winches used in light vehicle recovery
• Winch theory and calculations
• Correct use of equipment and methods of winching
• Hand signal instructions to direct a winch operator

Practical Skill Instruction
• Demonstrate the correct use and deployment of all related equipment, methodology to deal with the casualty vehicle and application of all winch theory.

Underlift units and all the safety aspects associated with them when carrying out routine recovery procedures.
Theory
• Health and safety as it applies to the use of underlifts
• Underlift variations, features and performance
• Operating procedures and equipment checks
• Loading and unloading procedures using underlift
• Towing procedures and hazard analysis

Practical Skill Instruction
• Demonstrate the correct use and deployment of all equipment. Stabiliser legs, cross heads fittings, straps, chains and tensioners. Loading, transporting and unloading of the casualty vehicle.

The recovery of vehicles using a lorry loader crane from road traffic collision (RTC), parking and other situations.
Theory
• Health and safety as it applies to the use of lorry loaders
• Lorry loader components and control of a lorry loader crane
• Ancillary equipment used with lorry loaders to recover vehicles
• Hand signal instructions to direct a lorry loader operator

Practical Skill Instruction
• Demonstrate the correct use and deployment of all equipment. Preparing, loading, transporting and unloading of the casualty vehicle using a lorry loader.

Provides recovery operators with the necessary skills to assess and safely employ air cushions in the righting of overturned heavy vehicles.
An extension of the VR16 module and operators must have achieved VR16 before taking VR18.
Recovery operators will learn to assess, plan and implement a recovery of the casualty vehicle using air cushions and winching.
All practical and theoretical aspects of their safe use in lifting and lowering the vehicle will be tested.
Theory
• Health & safety applied to the use of air cushions
• Identification of the different types, sizes and construction of low and high pressure cushions
• Care and maintenance of all air cushions equipment
• Deployment of starter mats and air cushions
• Handling of typical high and low pressure air supplies, valve blocks and connecting devices

Practical Skill Instruction
• Demonstration of the recovery set-up for an overturned vehicle, correct use and deployment of all related equipment to successfully conduct a recovery of the casualty vehicle

Instructs recovery operators to correctly handle, safely recover, transport and store the casualty vehicle.
Preserving all evidence and avoiding cross contamination.
Theory
• Health and safety as it applies to the recovery of a casualty vehicle
• Identification of potential sources of evidence
• Recognition and avoidance of possible biological hazards whilst preserving them as evidence
• Identification and handling of forensic evidence
• Understanding how to avoid cross contamination
• British law and the criminal system
• Understanding of the laws governing the handling of evidence
• The importance of good communication skills and understanding of the terminology employed - Mechanical Preservation, CSI, Continuity of Evidence etc.
• Care and preparation prior to recovery of the casualty vehicle

Practical Skill Instruction
• Demonstrate proper understanding of what is required from the recovery operator, by the police and all other organisations, at the scene and when recovering and storing the casualty vehicle

For recovery technicians who routinely remove buses and coaches in their day to day activities.
It covers the safety aspects relating to the recovery of buses and coaches and the correct way to attach the recovery vehicle in order to avoid damage to the casualty.
This module uses the National Occupational Standards and the Technical Certificate (developed by the IVR and Automotive Skills) as the benchmark for the content of the course.
Course aims
• To understand how to identify the Health and safety requirements when recovering buses and coaches
• To understand the dangers of air suspension and the hazards presented
• To understand the chassis construction of buses and coaches
• To understand the correct loading techniques when using an underlift
• To understand the correct loading techniques when using a low loader

Learning objectives
• By the end of the course the student will be able to;
• Define the Health and safety requirements applicable to the use of an underlift recovery unit
• Outline the dangers relating to air suspension
• Describe the variations in bus and coach chassis construction
• Outline the legislation affecting the recovery of commercial vehicles
• Describe the correct loading technique for an underlift recovery unit
• Describe the correct loading technique for a low loader recovery unit

For recovery technicians who drive and operate impact protection vehicles in road construction sites for the sole purpose of protecting a recovery operation.
It covers the removal of any casualties where a Recovery Impact Protection Vehicle (RIPV) is required and the safety aspects relating to the use of this type of equipment and an awareness of traffic management systems within road construction sites.
Course aims
• To understand the health and safety requirements when using a RIPV
• To understand what quality assurance and sector schemes are
• Understand the link between these schemes and an RIPV driver
• To understand reference documentation and what applies to the use of this vehicle
• To understand what a RIPV is and its function
• To understand how to check the vehicle and equipment prior to its use
• To understand the role and limitations of a RIPV drive
• To understand how to protect the recovery operation in different situations within the road construction site
• To understand how to set up the protection area
• To understand how to communicate with the recovery team
• To understand how to remove the protection area

*Certification will identify the type of vehicle that the training has been delivered on, for example Twin-Deck transporter and/or Multi-Deck transporter.
The use of transporters to carry out routine light vehicle recoveries. Operators will be able to identify the different types of transporters and their technical features.
• Health and safety as it applies to transporters
• Types of transporters, their performance and advantages
• Loading procedures using a fixed bed transporter
• Loading procedures using a slide bed transporter
• Equipment checks, hazards loading and unloading the casualty vehicle

Practical Skill Instruction
• Demonstrate successfully the deployment and use of the equipment. The loading, transporting and unloading of the casualty vehicle