The CLOCS Standard

The CLOCS Standard is a national industry standard that defines the primary requirements placed upon the key stakeholders associated with a construction project and places responsibilities and duties on the regulator, the client, the principal contractor controlling the construction site and the supply chain including the operator of any road-going vehicles servicing that project.

The CLOCS Standard is the direct result of collaboration between the construction and fleet sectors to address shared issues.

It draws together best practice from across the construction industry to provide an industry standard that can be implemented by the key stakeholders, with detailed requirements for each group to drive a collaborative approach to work-related road risk. Each requirement has been developed with the aim of reducing the risk of harm to the community from construction vehicle journeys.

Clients shall specify whether the CLOCS Standard applies within contracts based on their assessment of risk and in accordance with local authority requirements. Queries regarding applicability at specific sites should be directed to, and dealt with, by the client or principal contractor.

Version 5 of the CLOCS Standard was published in November 2024.

Download the CLOCS Standard

A summary of the changes in Version 5 of the CLOCS Standard can be accessed here and a copy of Version 4 of the Standard is available here.

Executive summary

This executive summary simplifies the key obligations of every CLOCS Champion – regulators, clients, principal contractors, site operators and fleet operators – set out in CLOCS Standard Version 5. It presents the key ‘must’ requirements in a concise, web-friendly format so you can quickly view the main principles to keep construction logistics safe for vulnerable road users and local communities. For the complete requirements, procedures and guidance, please refer to the full CLOCS Standard document above.

Regulators/planning authorities must:

Reference CLOCS in local plans and planning guidance and include compliance with CLOCS in the planning approval process. (Section 3.1)
Ensure the planning process requires submission and approval of a Construction Logistics Plan. (Section 3.2)
Obtain evidence that the CLOCS Standard is being upheld by requiring independent formal site monitoring assessments. (Section 3.3)
Ensure breaches are identified and communicated to the regulator with steps taken to prevent future occurrences, and ensure all breaches are reviewed to ensure any risks to communities have been mitigated. (Section 3.4)

Clients must:

Ensure risk assessments identify and assess risks to vulnerable road users and consider measures to reduce vehicle movements related to the project’s construction sites. (Section 4.1)
Ensure the procurement strategy, tender documentation and contracts require compliance with CLOCS by the principal contractor and sub-contracted operators. (Section 4.2)
Develop, implement and monitor a Construction Logistics Plan. (Section 4.3)
Ensure effective monitoring of compliance with the CLOCS Standard by requiring formal site monitoring assessments and regular reports on the performance of vehicle deliveries. Additionally, require notification of any serious incidents and verify that appropriate actions are taken to prevent recurrences. (Section 4.4)
Ensure any serious incidents related to construction vehicles servicing the project are investigated, rectified and an action plan developed to prevent future occurrences and ensure that any risks to vulnerable road users have been mitigated. (Section 4.5)

Principal contractors must:

Ensure that risk assessments consider risks to vulnerable road users as a result of construction logistics activities within the surrounding environment and other locations. (Section 5.1)
Develop, implement, and maintain a Construction Logistics Plan and ensure the CLP remains a live document throughout the project. (Section 5.2)
Develop, implement, and maintain a Construction Traffic Management Plan which describes how traffic will be managed when construction works are being carried out, the impact on the roadway and road users and how these impacts are being addressed. (Section 5.3)
Include CLOCS requirements in the procurement strategy, tender documentation and contracts, including contracts issued to all applicable and appropriate site and fleet operators, to ensure compliance with the CLOCS Standard throughout the supply chain. (Section 5.4)
Ensure use of an effective delivery management system (DMS) to minimise congestion, disruption and emissions and manage deliveries to and from site. (Section 5.5)
Conduct risk assessments of proposed vehicle routes to assess and select the safest routes to and from the construction site and considering the potential for conflict with vulnerable road users. (Section 5.6)
Ensure the ground conditions of the site are suitable for the vehicles servicing the site, particularly those fitted with safety features. (Section 5.7)
Ensure that access to and egress from the site is clearly marked and understood, appropriately managed and clear of obstacles. (Section 5.8)
Manage site traffic by appointing competent site access traffic marshals, ensuring that vehicles and drivers meet the requirements of the CLOCS Standard, ensuring any instances of non-compliance are risk-assessed and mitigated, and ensure site access traffic marshals are ever vigilant for issues that may impact on the safety of vulnerable road users and site personnel (Section 5.9)
Ensure that vehicles are loaded and unloaded on-site and ensure that any off-site area is only put in place where appropriate consent has been given and having been properly risk-assessed. (Section 5.10)
Ensure effective monitoring of compliance with the CLOCS Standard and provide evidence to the client that the Standard is being upheld by arranging independent formal site monitoring assessments, maintaining records of the performance of vehicle deliveries, providing the client with regular reports and reporting serious incidents related to construction vehicles servicing the project to the client as soon as is reasonably practicable. (Section 5.11)
Ensure any serious incidents are investigated, rectified and an action plan developed to prevent future occurrences. Also review any formal site monitoring assessments and gate checks where non-compliance is identified and ensure that any risks to vulnerable road users have been mitigated. (Section 5.12)

Site operators must:

Ensure they comply with any of the principal contractor requirements as detailed within the CLOCS Standard for which they are responsible, procuring any fleet operations and operating their own vehicles as per the fleet operator requirements within the CLOCS Standard. (Section 6.1)

Fleet operators must:

Ensure they are part of a recognised fleet accreditation scheme or have a suitable management system in place that addresses the issues of management, vehicles, drivers and operations and ensure all construction logistics heavy goods vehicle operations meet the standards and requirements as described as Silver in the FORS Standard. (Section 7.1)