FORS, CLOCS and DVS – Confused? Let us help.
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With so many accreditations required for different contracts it can be confusing as to what hardware you need to install to your vehicles to ensure you pass the vehicle safety element of the standards.
So what’s the difference between FORS and CLOCS?
They are different nationwide vehicle safety accreditations and FORS has three levels, FORS Bronze, FORS Silver and FORS Gold.
Currently both are voluntary, however, main contractors for bigger contracts will often stipulate that their sub-contractors are required to have these standards or they cannot tender for the work. That makes the relevant accreditations well worth having.
FORS (The Freight Operator Recognition Scheme) is predominantly, though far from exclusively, aimed at the freight sector, however, we find an awful lot of our Construction clients operating tippers and low-loaders are required to have this too.
There are no vehicle safety hardware requirements for FORS Bronze.
This tends to be why most main contractors require FORS Silver or even FORS Gold so that they know the vehicles are working to a high safety standard.
CLOCS (The Construction and Logistics Cyclist Safety Scheme) has the same safety equipment requirements as FORS Silver.
The DVS Scheme (Direct Vision Standard) came into effect on the 26th October 2020 and is going to be updated again in October 2024. All vehicles over 12 tonnes entering Greater London will be required to be registered on the DVS scheme or face a daily fine of up to £550. The Direct Vision Standard is the equivalent of FORS Silver and CLOCS.
We are preparing a whole separate section on what you need to be aware of and planning for 2024.
It is inevitable in the coming years that similar vehicle standards will be rolled out to other UK major cities and consultations have already started in many cases.
To meet these requirements you will need:
- Cameras for reversing and for nearside (blindside) either viewable on a monitor or the vehicle OEM screen.
- Side proximity sensors to warn the driver of cyclists or pedestrians in their blind spot at low speed and when turning left.
- An audible left turn warning for cyclists and pedestrians.
- An audible reversing alarm for cyclists and pedestrians.
It does involve investment and we are firm believers in helping our clients future proof their vehicles which saves them downtime and money compared to upgrading at a later date
FORS Gold adds a digital recorder so in the event of an accident you have the footage to quickly investigate any claims.
We don’t see the point in having cameras and no recording. To us it makes no sense to not protect your insurance premium and your drivers when already committing to investing in vehicle safety equipment.
Doing it right and doing it once means you can have you don’t need to take your vehicles off the road for what are time consuming installs by our highly skilled fitters and the cost of sending them out twice for you is one we encourage clients to avoid.
Our DVR’s come with live streaming so you can view real time and historical footage of any incidents wherever your vehicles may be, again, a further insurance policy to protect your company and drivers. Typically when fitting a DVR our clients tend to go with four or five cameras, dependent on if they want a dome in the cab, defining the specification to meet the standards in line with each clients culture, aims and objectives.
With the factories in China being closed for two months and then the strain on the transport industry there is going to be a huge race for equipment as companies scramble to have the relevant equipment fitted in time.
We saw it in February and March and we anticipate seeing it again as soon as more businesses return to work.
As these are such a specialist fit (if you do them right!), particularly if integrating with the OEM vehicle screen, our fitters can complete one, possible two vehicles a day and most companies, when operating normally, can only make their vehicles available at weekends.
Our advice, be ready, be prepared, don’t leave it until the last minute as there will be limited hardware available and even then only a finite number of fitters with the skill set to install these effectively for you.
If you have mothballed vehicles or have a SORN then now is the perfect time to take advantage and prepare them for returning to the standard you anticipate needing to win the contracts you really want or to continue to work within the M25.
We’d love to help, if you’d like us to, please get in touch with our Lancashire based team on 01254 914 538.