Hird joins Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme for London

Mini crane, glass handling equipment and powered access supplier Hird has been accredited by the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) – proving it meets set quality standards for operating in the capital.

FORS is operated by Transport for London. It is designed to allow forward thinking transport companies to show they set high standards for public safety, business performance and environmental protection.

Hird Managing Director Phil Hird said the growth of business carried out in London, providing mini cranes, spider cranes, glazing robots and other glass handling equipment, and powered access platforms, including cherry pickers and scissor lifts, made achieving FORS accreditation a natural step.

He added:

“Achieving FORS accreditation reflects our approach to being a responsible, high quality transport operator in London. Setting high standards when delivering equipment, like mini cranes and glazing robots, across the capital, is crucial to our success.

“We provide equipment for use on the most prestigious development and maintenance projects in the capital, so we want to match the standards set by our most important clients. Having FORS accreditation helps us do that.”

For example,

Hird is a supplier to Crossrail, at £14.5 billion, Europe’s largest building project, which requires all delivery vehicles to be FORS-accredited. Crossrail is a new rail line running for 60 miles from Maidenhead west of London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood east of London. It involves creating nine new stations and renovating others.

To achieve FORS accreditation, Hird underwent an inspection by an independent auditor and submitted documentation to prove that it achieved stringent standards under four main sets of criteria: management, vehicles, drivers and operations.

Hird operates a growing fleet of mini crane, glazing robots, spider cranes, scissor lifts and cherry pickers for hire and for sale from its Southern Depot at Redhill, Surrey. Hird is also the approved UK and Ireland distributor for Valla mini cranes and Winlet glazing robots.

Hird Director John Wilding, who manages the Southern Depot, said:

“Delivering and collecting machines from around the capital requires our drivers to be particularly skilled and conscientious. Most of the time we are working on construction sites or in busy built-up public areas, where health and safety is of paramount concern.

“While mini cranes are, by the definition of their names, compact cranes, they are still relatively big and heavy pieces of kit, as are glazing robots, spider cranes, scissor lifts and cherry pickers. So safe handling is crucial.”

For more information, give us a call:

Northern – 01482 227333

Central – 01302 341659

Southern – 0203 174 0658