Longcliffe celebrate FORS Silver fleet award
Company delighted to win Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme Silver accreditation for third year
DEMONSTRATING first-class commitment to the highest standards in safety, environment and operational efficiency across their road operation, Derbyshire-based Longcliffe Quarries are celebrating achieving and maintaining their Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) Silver accreditation.
FORS is a voluntary accreditation scheme for fleet operators. Originally brought in by Transport for London to improve safety for cyclists, it ‘aims to drive up standards within fleet operations and demonstrate which operators are achieving exemplary levels of best practice in safety, efficiency and environmental protection’.
Longcliffe logistics manager James Hopkinson said: ‘We are delighted to win our FORS Silver accreditation for a third year. It is recognition for the whole logistics team from drivers through to maintenance mechanics and demonstrates our continued commitment to improving safety and environmental performance.’
To win and maintain FORS Silver, Longcliffe had to prove they are maintaining their progressive approach in six key areas, including vehicle performance (emissions and air quality), road risk and cycle safety, professional development, and vehicle safety equipment.
Drivers are heavily involved in the work to achieve the FORS certification. For instance, to demonstrate the most positive approach to road risk and cycle safety, all 46 drivers had to take part in a full day of training which included spending half of the day out on the road on bikes.
Driver and driver trainer Chris Dakin said: ‘This training was really successful, particularly for the driver’s that don’t cycle. It gave us all better perspective.’
To achieve FORS Silver, Longcliffe also had to demonstrate the highest standards of visibility equipment in their lorries. This includes a four-way camera system and an alarm which sounds when a vehicle is about to take a left turn.
Longcliffe Group managing director Paul Boustead commented: ‘This award is testament to the hard work of our fleet and logistics teams. It not only highlights our performance and safety commitments, but it also ensures we meet the standards expected by many of our customers.’
