Ground engineering contractor now aiming for gold.

Specialist ground engineering contractor Central Piling is celebrating winning bronze FORS (Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme) accreditation.

The certification at SOCA (Single Operator Centre Accreditation) level covers the company’s Halstead head office and transport depot which is home to a transport fleet of 25 vans and four HGVs.

FORS is a voluntary accreditation scheme for fleet operators which aims to raise the level of quality within fleet operations and to demonstrate which operators are achieving exemplary levels of best practice in safety, efficiency and environmental protection.

Becoming a FORS member demonstrates to Central Piling’s customers and supply chain partners that the company is managing its WRRR (Work Related Road Risk) and is committed to exceeding the industry standard.

To meet bronze accreditation, Central Piling transport manager Simon Johnson carried out risk assessments with the help of the company’s H&S manager Colin Newman, created a van drivers’ check list, and set up a commercial drivers’ policy covering all the FORS standards. This has been uploaded to the company’s website for all staff to read.

He said: “With the systems we have in place now we can monitor incidents, fuel usage and costs, plus every member is aware of their responsibilities whilst driving a Central Piling vehicle which hopefully will also make them more aware when driving their own vehicles.

“To be fair at Central Piling we have a good incident record and obviously we want to keep it that way but over the past few months I have noticed a different attitude in drivers who are now thinking about their journeys and the cost implications to the company and they are also more respectful of other road users.”

He added: “FORS is becoming more and more recognised by contractors who want people like us to do their work safely, efficiently and cost effectively. Here at Central Piling both directors want us to be the best and we aim to achieve gold standard as soon as we can.”

Simon is already aiming to achieve silver accreditation by October – FORS-approved gold-standard cameras are being installed in the company’s HGVs to help drivers spot cyclists, and urban driving training courses (where HGV and van drivers take to bicycles to get a first-hand experience of the cyclist’s perspective) are being held in September.

FORS accreditation coincides with Central Piling’s acquisition of a brand-new Soilmec SF-65 rig which brings the company’s plant fleet to some 15 strong including dando-mini, mini and large rigs.