FORS moves to ‘demystify’ FORS and CLOCS relationship

Wednesday, August 15, 2018 - 10:46
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‘Demystifying FORS and CLOCS’ workshops were developed in 2017 by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) – a key partner in the FORS Community Partnership.

The first ‘Demystifying FORS and CLOCS’ workshop was delivered in London in July with further workshops scheduled for Manchester and Birmingham. The workshop is free to attend for fleet operators and client specifiers. Over 200 delegates attended the first phase of the workshop delivery last year with FORS supporting and funding the delivery of workshops in 2018.

FORS and CLOCS are powerful complementary initiatives in place to drive-up standards in road risk management across the logistics sector. However, with national growth of the schemes at an exceptional rate there is a perceived confusion as to how they work together. The ‘Demystifying FORS and CLOCS’ workshop was developed to:

  • Provide the background and context as to why the contruction sector is taking steps to protect the most vulnerable road users
  • Explain the role of the different stakeholders and the actions they need to take to ensure a consistent road safety standards across the industry
  • Clarify how clients specify the CLOCS Standard in their supply chain and how fleet operators accredit to the FORS to demonstrate CLOCS compliance

The workshop is designed for anyone with influence within the supply chain, including developers, principal contractors, fleet operators, local authorities and procurement professionals.

CLOCS was established as an industry led movement in 2013 to address the construction sector’s overrepresentation in fatal collisions involving vulnerable road users. FORS has aligned to the CLOCS requirements since it was launched, in which time both schemes have matured to develop a consistent national standard for managing road risk in logistics operations. CILT Senior Associate and FORS Technical Adviser, Glen Davies, believes a level of misperception is understandable but one which can be easily explained.

“With two powerful schemes influencing road safety standards across the country, it is entirely reasonable that there is some confusion,” he says, “and, while there is a similarity, there is both a distinct difference and a crucial connection. CLOCS is a set of road safety requirements the construction client expects within the supply chain – FORS is a quality standard for fleet operations that is recognised by the client.

Davies adds, “Alongside improving road safety standards, FORS also helps improve operational efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Compliance to the CLOCS Standard is demonstrated by fleet operators accrediting to FORS Silver. It’s as simple as that.”

Derek Rees, CLOCS Project Director, concurs, “Every construction client and principal contractor should use CLOCS to demonstrate their respective corporate commitment and practical actions to eliminate the tragic 500 fatal or serious injury collisions that occur every year on the UK’s roads between HGVs and pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists – and they should require every fleet operator to use FORS to demonstrate their own commitment and actions to achieve the same mission. Together we can save lives, business reputation and money.”

FORS has also produced a useful InfoAnimation – FORS and CLOCS: Compatible Compliance – to briefly describe how the two schemes align: https://www.fors-online.org.uk/cms/fors-clocs-compatible-compliance/

To book a place on a Demystifying FORS and CLOCS workshop go to:

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