Home » FORS Standard » Version 7.1 » 3. Bronze accreditation » 3.2 Vehicles » V1 Serviceability and roadworthiness
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V1 Serviceability and roadworthiness

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Evidence required

Requirement

To maintain vehicles, trailers and specialist equipment in a serviceable and roadworthy condition.

Purpose

To ensure that all vehicles, trailers and specialist equipment operate on the roads safely, within the law and with consideration of the environment.

Demonstration

FORS Operators shall have a policy and supporting procedure in place to inspect, service and repair vehicles, trailers and specialist equipment. The policy and supporting procedures shall include information on:

  • Effective management and supervisory responsibilities
  • Systems for both planned and unplanned maintenance
  • Maintenance to achieve optimum safety, environmental and performance standards
  • Daily walkaround checks and defect reporting
  • First use inspections, including leased, hired or loaned vehicles
  • How safety critical defects and prohibitions are managed and investigated
  • How unroadworthy vehicles are removed from service
  • How unroadworthy vehicles are brought back into service when passed fit

A supporting procedure shall be in place to ensure that checks are completed on safety recalls that are likely to affect the safe operation of vehicles, trailers, and specialist equipment.

An inspection and maintenance plan shall be in place that includes all vehicles, trailers and specialist equipment in scope of FORS accreditation. The inspection and maintenance plan shall include a minimum of 15 months’ history and a rolling six months’ forward plan of:

  • MOT and statutory annual tests
  • Safety inspections
  • First-use inspections
  • Maintenance and servicing
  • Brake performance assessments
  • Calibration tests
  • Lifting equipment examinations
  • Work equipment inspections
  • Any remedial work required or repairs carried out

For operator licence holders, all inspections and maintenance shall align with the operator licence and meet the requirements of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) Guide to maintaining roadworthiness.

The inspection and maintenance plan shall be supported by individual vehicle maintenance records. It shall be reviewed and updated when any vehicles, trailers or specialist equipment are changed.

Examples of specialist equipment include, but are not limited to:

  • Speed limiters
  • Digital and analogue tachograph units
  • Carrying equipment such as tanks, hoppers, mixers and refrigeration units
  • Lifting equipment such as cranes, winches, skip loaders, tipping bodies and tail lifts
  • Accessibility equipment such as ramps, lifts, rails and anchors

Where safety inspections and maintenance are:

  • Undertaken in-house – the person with responsibility for technical engineering advice shall declare that the maintenance facilities and staff competencies are adequate for the size of the fleet and type of vehicles operated
  • Contracted out – a formal written contract with a maintenance provider shall be evidenced including for equipment such as ramps, lifts, rails and anchors

The person undertaking safety inspections shall be technically competent and operationally aware of the safety standards that apply to the type of fleet they examine.

Safety inspections, maintenance facilities and technical engineering staff should be trained in the techniques of vehicle examination, diagnosis and reporting, and possess a sound working knowledge of the relevant manuals produced by the DVSA.

Inspectors should obtain relevant technical qualifications and achieve technical accreditation such as IRTEC (Inspection Technician Accreditation) or similar, meeting a recognised quality standard for the vehicles
they inspect. A safety inspector may prove technical competence by being qualified by experience.

FORS accreditation signage shall be removed from a vehicle prior to its onward sale or disposal.

The policy, procedure, records an data relevant to vehicle inspection and maintenance shall be:

Prepare the following evidence

Documented serviceability and roadworthiness policy and procedure.

A maintenance planner that:

  • Includes all vehicles (vans, HGVs, etc) and trailers within the scope of the FORS accreditation
  • Is planned at least 6 months in advance
  • Includes all relevant maintenance events (e.g. PMI, MOT, servicing, brake testing, tachograph calibration, and LOLER inspections where applicable)

Records of completed vehicle and trailer safety recall checks showing:

  • Vehicle/trailer registration mark (VRM) or VIN
  • Date of the recall check
  • Outcome of the check (e.g. no outstanding recalls or recall identified)
  • Evidence of recall work completed, where applicable

Vehicle maintenance contracts with third-party maintenance providers (where applicable and for fleets subject to Operator Licensing).

Evidence that staff undertaking safety inspections are technically competent and operationally aware of the required maintenance standards, such as:

  • Relevant qualifications (e.g. IRTEC, NVQ or manufacturer training);
  • Inspection, maintenance, brake testing or diagnostic certificates;
  • Training records (initial and refresher training); and
  • Job descriptions defining technical responsibilities, qualifications, and experience.
  • Maintenance supplier assessment report

Vehicle maintenance records covering the previous 15 months, or from vehicle introduction where the fleet or vehicle is newer, including:

  • MOT records
  • Pre-delivery inspections (PDI)
  • Preventive maintenance inspections (PMIs) – with brake performance assessments for O Licence fleet
  • Brake performance assessments/tests
  • Service and repair records
  • Tachograph calibration records; and
  • LOLER inspection records, where applicable

Any identified maintenance defects, recalls, or safety-related issues must show evidence of corrective action being completed.

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