A Certificate of Recognition (COR) shows that an employer's health and safety management system has been audited and meets a recognized standard. It is voluntary in most cases, but many owners and prime contractors require it before they will hire you, and in some provinces it can affect workers' compensation premiums. Getting it means building a working program, then passing an audit against a set protocol.
Who issues COR
COR is run differently in each province, so the first step is finding out who administers it for your industry and location.
- Alberta: COR is issued by the provincial government in partnership with Certifying Partners, which are usually industry safety associations. Each partner covers particular industries. Alberta also has a Small Employer COR (SECOR) for smaller firms, with a simpler audit.
- British Columbia: WorkSafeBC runs the COR program through certifying partners for different sectors, and it is linked to incentive payments.
- Ontario: COR in construction is administered through the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA). Other sectors have different recognition programs.
Programs, eligibility rules and incentives change, so confirm the current details with the certifying partner that covers your work before planning around them. Many provinces now recognize each other's construction COR to some degree, but it is not automatic for every sector.
How the process usually works
- Choose your certifying partner. It must match your industry. The partner provides the audit protocol and training.
- Train someone in-house. Most programs require a person in your company to take courses on health and safety management, and often an auditor course.
- Build or update your program so that it covers every element in the audit protocol, and run it long enough to have records.
- Complete the certification audit. This may be done by an internal auditor you have trained, or an external auditor, depending on the program and your size. It uses document review, interviews and site observation.
- Submit for quality review. The certifying partner reviews the audit before issuing the certificate.
- Maintain it. A COR is typically valid for a few years, with maintenance audits required in the years between the full certification audits.
What the audit protocol covers
Protocols vary, but they cover the same core elements found in any sound program:
- Management leadership and a signed health and safety policy
- Hazard identification, assessment and control
- Safe work practices and job procedures
- Workplace inspections
- Qualifications, orientation and training
- Emergency response
- Incident investigation
- Program administration and records
- Worker involvement, including committees or representatives where required
Auditors look for evidence that each element is in use, not just written down. An inspection form that exists but has not been filled in for six months will score poorly.
Is it worth it?
For contractors bidding on industrial, institutional or government work, COR is often a condition of prequalification, so the answer is simple. For others, the value is in the discipline it imposes: a documented, audited program, reviewed on a cycle, is a solid foundation for due diligence. The costs are mostly staff time, training and the audit itself.
Where COR links to premium incentives, the financial return depends on your payroll and claims history. Ask your workers' compensation board for the current terms.
Do not build a program just to pass the audit. Programs written to the scoring sheet tend to look tidy and fail in the field. Build it around your real hazards and work, then check it against the protocol.
Common reasons audits fall short
- Hazard assessments that are generic and not tied to actual tasks or sites.
- Inspections done but corrective actions never closed out.
- Workers unable to describe the emergency procedure or who their first aider is.
- Training records incomplete, or training not matched to the hazards workers face.
- Incident investigations that stop at "worker error" without finding causes.
A practice run helps. Our guide to safety program audits explains how a gap assessment works, and building a safety program from scratch covers the foundations.
How ehZee can help
ehZee can review your existing program against the elements a COR audit covers, help close gaps and get records in order before the formal audit. ehZee is not a certifying partner; the certificate itself comes from the program administrator for your province and industry. See safety program development and review.
Common questions
Is COR mandatory?
It is not a legal requirement for most employers, but it is often a contract requirement. Read your clients' prequalification terms.
Does COR from one province work in another?
Sometimes. Construction COR has some reciprocity between provinces, but the rules differ by sector and program. Check with the certifying partner in the province where you want to work.
How long does it take to get COR?
It depends on how complete your current program is, how quickly staff can complete the required training and how long the program needs to run to produce records. A company with a mature program will move faster than one starting from scratch.