The revised FORS Standard, published on 19 October, is the sixth iteration of the document, which outlines how FORS members must meet the accreditation criteria at each stage of the progressive scheme.
The FORS Standard is updated every two years to ensure the requirements within remain relevant to the ever-changing needs of the road transport operators it serves, now totalling some 4,850 members nationwide and internationally.
Initially due for publication in 2020, The FORS Standard Version 6.0 was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making it three years since the last full version was published to members.
And the effects of the pandemic are reflected in this latest version, which contains only modest changes to the scheme. Helen Bonner, director FORS governance and standards, called it an ‘incremental adjustment’ from the current standard.
No changes have been made to the FORS mandatory training for both drivers and managers, and many of the amendments have been designed to clarify existing requirements to members. For example, the addition of a new annex listing the documents required at the FORS Bronze Audit – the first level of the progressive scheme.
In other news, Transport for London has awarded a new FORS contract to Sopra Steria, from current contractor AECOM.