A FORS audit is won or lost on paperwork you can put in front of the auditor, and on whether your drivers can show they know what it says. Three documents do most of that work: your risk assessments, your safe systems of work and your driver handbook. Each has a different job, and they need to agree with one another.
This guide explains what each document is for, where operators commonly go wrong, and how to adapt a template so it reflects how your business actually runs. If you are still at the start of the process, our guide to how to apply for FORS accreditation covers registration and preparation, and our article on what to expect from a FORS audit covers the audit itself and the full list of policies.
How the three documents fit together
It helps to think of them as a chain:
- Risk assessments identify what could go wrong, who could be hurt and what controls are needed.
- Safe systems of work turn those controls into step-by-step instructions for a particular task.
- The driver handbook puts the rules in plain language, in front of every driver, with a signature to show they have received it.
Requirement M1 of the FORS Standard says policies must line up with your risk assessments. An auditor who finds a handbook that says one thing and a risk assessment that says another will notice, so keeping the three consistent matters as much as having them.
Risk assessments
A risk assessment is a record of the hazards in your operation, who might be harmed, what you already do to control the risk and what more is needed. In Great Britain, employers must make a “suitable and sufficient” assessment of the risks to their employees, and if you have five or more employees you must record the significant findings.
FORS expects many of your policies to be backed by risk assessments, method statements or safe systems of work. The kinds of risk it looks for include slips, trips and falls, manual handling, lone working, working around moving vehicles, reversing and manoeuvring, coupling and uncoupling trailers, load restraint, and the operational risks of driving such as speed, distraction and adverse weather.
The test is whether the assessment describes your operation. A long register of generic assessments that nobody has read is weaker than a shorter set that matches your vehicles, sites and tasks. Review dates matter too: documents must be reviewed at least every 12 months, and sooner if the law, your working practices or an incident changes things.
Safe systems of work
A safe system of work (sometimes called a method statement or SSOW) describes how a specific task should be done safely, in order. Where the risk assessment says “trailer coupling is a risk to the person doing it”, the safe system of work says what the person does, in what order, with what equipment, and what to do if something is not right.
A usable safe system of work normally includes:
- the task, where it applies and who it applies to;
- the equipment, vehicles and any protective clothing needed;
- the steps, in the order they should be done;
- what to do if something goes wrong, and who to tell;
- a link to the risk assessment it is based on; and
- a briefing record, signed by the person who was briefed, with the date.
Everyday haulage tasks are the obvious candidates: loading and unloading, coupling and uncoupling, tail lift use, forklift use and anything else your drivers do repeatedly where something could go wrong.
The driver handbook
Requirement M5 says operators must communicate operational information and organisational policies and procedures through a staff or driver handbook and supporting documentation. That makes the handbook the document most likely to be in a driver’s hands, and the one an auditor is most likely to ask a driver about.
A good handbook is written for drivers rather than for auditors. It covers, in language drivers can use:
- driving standards, including seat belts, speed, distraction and adverse weather;
- your hand-held phone rules;
- fitness to drive, eyesight checks and your drugs and alcohol procedure;
- working time, drivers’ hours and what to do about tachograph problems;
- daily walkaround checks and how to report a defect;
- load safety and restraint;
- what to do after a collision, incident or near miss; and
- vehicle security and how complaints and infringements are handled.
Handing out the handbook is not enough on its own. The auditor wants evidence that drivers received it and understood it, such as signed annual declarations and a signed induction record for new starters. Keep a record of any changes you pass on to drivers, whether by briefing, toolbox talk or bulletin.
Why copied or generic documents fail audits
Documents rarely fail because a section is missing. They fail because they do not match what happens on the yard. The usual problems are:
- the wrong vehicle types, sites or tasks, because the document was copied from another company;
- procedures nobody follows, which an auditor finds out as soon as they speak to a driver;
- no signature from a senior manager, no version number or no recorded review date;
- a handbook that contradicts the risk assessments or policies;
- no proof that drivers received the handbook or were briefed on a safe system of work; and
- risk assessments that have never been reviewed since they were written.
Most of these are quick to fix, and they are easy for an auditor to spot, which is why they are worth fixing before the audit rather than after it.
How to adapt a template properly
A template saves weeks of writing, but it is only a starting point. Working through it properly takes much less time than starting from a blank page:
- Put in your details. Company name, logo, the responsible person and the date.
- Delete what does not apply. If you do not run tail lifts or carry passengers, take those sections out rather than leaving them in.
- Add what is missing. Your own sites, vehicle types, customers’ rules and anything particular to how you work.
- Check that it matches practice. Ask a driver or a supervisor to read each procedure and tell you whether it is what really happens.
- Make the three documents agree. Check the handbook against the safe systems of work and the risk assessments.
- Sign, date and version it. Have a senior manager approve each document and record the version number and review date.
- Brief your drivers and keep the records. Issue the handbook, collect the signed declarations and keep the briefing records together.
Where to start
If you would rather begin with a tested set than a blank page, our FORS documents and audit page has editable packs of 71 risk assessments and 33 safe systems of work, plus a driver handbook, each written to be tailored to your own operation. You can download a free sample pack first to see the format, and every pack includes 12 months of updates. Download links arrive straight after payment.
If you have already written your own and want an independent view, our fixed-price remote FORS micro-audit is a phone consultation followed by a review of the documents you send us, telling you what is in place, what is missing and what to fix first. It is not a FORS audit and does not award accreditation. See the micro-audit details, or read our guide to preparing for a remote compliance audit.
Working out which FORS level to aim for? Our guide to FORS Bronze, Silver or Gold explains what each level adds. Or request a call back and tell us about your operation and the level you are working towards.
Important to remember
HGV Consult is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by FORS. FORS accreditation is awarded only by FORS following an audit by an approved FORS audit provider. Our documents are general templates that support your preparation, and nothing in this article guarantees accreditation. This article is general information only and is not legal advice. The FORS Standard changes, so check the latest version and your own requirements before you rely on it.
Source: FORS Standard Version 7.2, September 2026 (fors-online.org.uk).