Early adopters of the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) celebrate tenth consecutive year of Gold accreditation and stronger supply chains.

2021 marks the tenth year in which the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) has awarded its coveted Gold accreditation. To mark this important milestone, FORS has recognised a group of early adopters who have held the highest level of accreditation since the very beginning - operators that serve as shining examples of why specifying FORS in a supply chain can help reduce risk, improve contract deliverables and lower costs.

Since its arrival, the FORS Gold accreditation has only been awarded to exceptional operators who have met its exacting requirements. It is the third tier of the FORS progressive model, which encourages members to strive for even higher standards of safety and efficiency as they move from entry-level FORS Bronze, upwards to FORS Silver, and finally the top level, FORS Gold. 

One of the companies celebrating its tenth year of FORS Gold accreditation, the City of London Corporation, is also a FORS Specifier. Commenting on the benefits of specifying FORS in the supply chain, chairman of its environmental services committee, Keith Bottomley, said: “Being with FORS from the start and maintaining FORS Gold for ten years has been great for the City of London Corporation, supporting our transport operation’s efforts in health and safety, compliance and air quality. Promoting the FORS Standard to our supply chain also gives us confidence that those around us are working to the same high standard”.

One of the many benefits of working exclusively with FORS accredited operators is that they improve supply chain flow by reducing and eliminating risk. Not only do they operate to a higher level than the legal operator licensing requirement, FORS operators are also 25% less likely to be involved in collisions. 

Travis Perkins plc is a case in point. In fact, the UK’s largest distributor of building materials is another operator celebrating a tenth year of Gold accreditation. Explaining how FORS Gold benefits not just the company itself but also its customers, Frank Elkins, group chief operating officer, said: “Being a FORS Gold member allows us to outwardly demonstrate and provide confidence to our customers that Travis Perkins operates to the very highest of standards in all areas of fleet activity, including best in class driver training, vehicle safety, operational and management standards. Our industry leading fleet management allows our branches and colleagues to focus on meeting customers’ requirements in the knowledge that we are operating a safe and legal fleet at all times”.

FORS Gold accreditation is not just the preserve of large local authorities and listed companies, though. Through extensive driver training and management toolkits, FORS operators of all shapes and sizes are better placed to satisfy contractual requirements thanks to the increased knowledge and professionalism amongst staff. A prime example is the family run waste disposal business, O’Donovan Waste Disposal, which is also among those celebrating a decade of FORS Gold accreditation. 

Jacqueline O’Donovan, its managing director, explained: “We have recently become the first independent company to achieve ten years of FORS Gold accreditation. The Gold standard is a well-recognised and respected accreditation that clearly shows our level of commitment to ensuring operational excellence in our everyday business processes. 

“Best practice, enhanced safety modifications to our fleet and our embedded training sits at the heart of our business, and FORS Gold has kept us focussed on continuing to operate at the highest levels of compliance”.

There are currently 309 FORS Gold members, of whom five have maintained this top level of FORS accreditation for ten consecutive years. To find out more about FORS Gold accreditation or to learn more about specifying FORS in your supply chain, visit the FORS website at www.fors-online.org.uk