21 years in, RIES still on the rise 

17/04/2025

RIES (Recovery Industry Engineering Standards) has been providing specialist, value-added inspection and accreditation services to the vehicle recovery industry across the island of Ireland and the UK for 21 years. We got an update from Engineering Surveyor for Northern Ireland, Eddie Burns, who has been a member of the RIES team since 2018. 

The only body which deals solely with the vehicle recovery industry, RIES – a subsidiary of AVRO - is a leading provider of management system audits to PAS 43 standards for vehicle recovery operators. RIES’ reach in Northern Ireland continues to grow. At the time of writing, membership included 35 clients in the region, which accounts for the vast majority of professional and compliant recovery operators in NI. 

“We’re still enjoying a little bit of growth,” confirms Eddie Burns, RIES’ Engineering Surveyor for Northern Ireland. “We’ve had a few retirees, where some operators finished up in business, but the trend is that we are gaining more members than we are losing.” 

RIES is the main organisation providing universally-recognised PAS 43 [the specification for the quality working of vehicle breakdown and recovery operations] certification and LOLER and PUWER inspections which operates solely in the vehicle recovery industry, giving their assessors a clear knowledge advantage and unsurpassed experience. 

Established to provide professional services to professionals and operating across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, RIES is a full-service organisation offering a range of inspection and accreditation services to the vehicle recovery industry. 

Currently with more than 400 clients – a number which continues to grow exponentially – RIES provides statutory inspections on recovery vehicles as well as offering full LOLER / PUWER and pressure systems regulations certification for workshops. 

It was back in the late 1990s that it was identified that a good way forward for the vehicle recovery industry to show commitment and professionalism was to have some form of standard. Until this time, AVRO had an engineering section which was well received by the membership. Something similar for the wider industry appeared to be the best way forward. 

AVRO set up a focus group to research all possibilities. Approaches were then made to the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) for guidance. Over the next two years or so, in an attempt to formulate a plan suitable to all, the focus group expanded to include recovery operators, trainers, police, highways, vehicle recovery trade organisations and all the motoring organisations and clubs. 

Designed with input from all concerned and with guidance from BSI and UKAS, it was agreed to introduce Publicly Accessible Specification 43, which required specific procedures for a management system intended to provide safe working arrangements for road recovery operator technicians and other road users. In 2003, in readiness for the introduction of PAS 43, AVRO - represented by Derek Beahan, Clive Heathcock and Brian Drury - formed Recovery Industry Engineering Standards. 

The company quickly developed, and the recently-retired Brian Drury and the late David Holmes took control. They set in place all the policies and procedures, applied for and became a UKAS-accredited inspection body. Services included assessments and inspections for PAS 43, the lifting operations and lifting equipment regulations, the provision and use of work equipment regulations and all Health & Safety. 

It then became apparent that some customers required assessment and inspection to allow them to provide services which required compliance with ISO9001 and National Highways Sector Schemes 17 and 17B. The required policies and procedures were implemented and RIES became authorised by UKAS as a certification body. 

The tragic loss of David Holmes, a dedicated, extremely competent and amiable man, created challenges which RIES have now overcome. Keeping up with the times, RIES continues to be fully accredited as an inspection body and a certification body. 

During all of this time, RIES has been and remains the only body which deals solely with the vehicle recovery industry and as such holds an enviable position of knowledge and expertise. Since then, and until now, AVRO have been at the forefront of benefitting their members and to the wider vehicle recovery industry. 

Being a member of RIES and having PAS 43 accreditation – achieved and maintained through a yearly inspection - has become something of a no-brainer for vehicle recovery operators. “Some of the requirement is statutory and legal around the safe operation of recovery trucks and there is also the quality aspect, which isn’t always asked for. But you need it if you want to get in with the RAC, AA, PSNI, Gardai, or any of the police services, motor organisations or insurance companies. 

According to Eddie Burns, who joined RIES from the AA: “A lot of people are starting to come to us because they can see the real value in the accreditation even though their clients aren’t necessarily looking for them to get PAS 43. It’s improving the status and business model of a lot of the smaller companies, who can demonstrate that from an organisational and professional point of view they are improving how they run their businesses.” 

In many respects, as well as being a legal requirement, the accreditation is also effectively a quality mark for members’ businesses. “A lot of companies who are looking to use a vehicle recovery operator will be looking to protect themselves by making sure they only work with subcontractors who are fit for purpose,” Eddie notes. 

The only organisation providing universally recognised PAS 43 certification, much of RIES’ business is generated through repeat custom from existing clients / members. While regulation drive this, so too does excellent service: “People are coming back to us after twelve months because they are happy with the service we are providing,” Eddie concludes. 

“Since I started with RIES in 2018, I don’t know of anybody who has got PAS 43 from us in Northern Ireland who hasn’t come back the following year. That’s the litmus test. And we get recommendations from our members too, though word of mouth, which is also welcome.” 

First published in Irish Trucker magazine March/April 2025, Vol 28-2