The NORS database registers every RTITB-trained operator for three years.

RTITB says its forklift operator registration scheme is helping beat counterfeit certificates.

In October, the UK's Accrediting Bodies Association for Workplace Transport (ABA) tightened requirements for registering certified materials handling equipment (MHE) drivers, stating that all member accrediting bodies should "have in place their own certification registration system" on which all accredited training is "verified and recorded".

With information including course dates, instructor name, truck category and a unique ID number, RTITB boasts that its National Operator Registration Scheme (NORS) has been meeting this standard for over 10 years.

"Employers cannot always be sure that an MHE certificate presented by a prospective employee or sub-contractor is genuine, but access to the NORS database simplifies and strengthens the audit trail, giving employers and operators confidence, with traceable proof," says RTITB operations director Laura Nelson.

Established in 2003, NORS helps employers to avoid hiring untrained or incorrectly trained MHE drivers using counterfeit certificates, helping ensure high safety standards in the workplace.

The NORS system keeps detailed records of trained MHE operators so that employers can check whether a potential employee has the relevant training and is registered with a recognised body before hiring them. The registration system currently holds over 450 accredited organisations that carry out RTITB-approved training courses in the UK and covers 700 training sites.

The NORS database registers every RTITB-trained operator for three years, after which the registration will end and refresher training must be completed to remain on the register of professional operators.

"All employers and recruitment agencies have a duty to stamp out the use of counterfeit certificates and illegal drivers operating heavy-duty equipment in the workplace," Nelson says. "This puts staff and businesses at risk."

Each year, NORS rejects over 1,700 MHE operator applications due to incomplete or insufficient training.

"If NORS did not exist, there would be 1,700 untrained and unsafe drivers in the workplace, potentially causing dangerous incidents and causing harm to themselves, others and the businesses that unknowingly employed unqualified operators," Nelson adds.

NORS has successfully registered over 522,000 qualifications on the system since inception. Each registered operator has their own unique NORS registration number, allowing employers to instantly check backgrounds and training history.

RTITB (formerly the Road Transport Industry Training Board) has been offering training in the transport, warehousing and logistics industries for over 40 years. The company accredits 600 sites in the UK and Ireland for the delivery of materials handling equipment training and manages the largest Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) Periodic Training consortium in the UK.