What is COR™?

The COR™ program

A Certificate of Recognition (COR™) is awarded to Canadian companies by certified health and safety organizations who demonstrate that their health and safety systems go above and beyond the legal requirements of the Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. Each territory and province in Canada manages the COR™ program with their certifying associations, so specific application and maintenance requirements vary slightly across the country.

COR™ continues to gain importance and prominence in Canada. While COR™ is currently voluntary, more and more municipalities award certain contracts to COR™ companies exclusively. Furthermore, companies in the COR™ program gain a competitive edge with public and private contracts because of the health and safety excellence that COR™ demonstrates.

Why Companies Need COR™

There are dozens of benefits to achieving COR™, but the biggest ones are:

Qualify for more public and private contracts
Higher employee morale and satisfaction from a safer work environment
The perception of a safer work environment to clients, prospective employees, and investors
Reduced costs associated with workplace incidents, accidents, and injuries
More time from efficient health and safety management practices

What is included in the COR™ program?

COR™ would not be nearly as prestigious if it were easy to obtain. The entire COR™ program can take a year or more, so companies should get the process started as soon as possible. The basic steps of COR™ are:

Apply to a participating organization in the correct territory or province.
Attend required COR™ courses.
Create and implement a health and safety management system.
Pass an internal audit, which is conducted by the full-time employee who attended COR™ courses.
Pass an external audit, which is arranged by the certifying association.
Receive a COR™ Letter of Good Standing. If a company does not pass an audit, it can make the necessary adjustments and conduct additional audits until certification is achieved.

COR™ certification is valid for three years from the date of issuance. Compliance is upheld with an internal audit in years one and two, and with an external audit in the last year. Once the third year expires, a company must re-apply from the beginning.

What is included in the COR™ audits?

Internal and external audits include documentation review, observations, and interviews. Specific criteria for audits are found with each certifying association, but generally, the audit looks at:

Policy Statement

A company’s policy statement is a set of principles and general rules that serves as a guide for company actions related to health and safety.

Hazard Analysis

The identification of health and safety hazards that could be the source of damage, harm, or adverse effects on something or someone in the workplace.

Safe Work Practices

Written methods that outline how to perform key job tasks with minimum risks to people, equipment, processes, and the work environment.

Safe Job Procedures

Procedures go more in-depth than Practices in that they give specific steps to workers in chronological order, much like Standard Operating Procedures.

Company Rules

Company rules govern the actions and behaviours of all employees, making it clear on what is an is not acceptable in the workplace.

Personal Protective Equipment

Also called PPE, these items are designed to protect each employee from hazards, and they include safety glasses, hats, boots, breathing apparatuses, and uniforms.

Training and Communication

A solid health and safety management system can only be effective with consistent communication about it and training employees on the components of it.

Preventative Maintenance

As the name suggests, preventative maintenance is the routine servicing of work vehicles, equipment, and tools to prevent larger problems and maximize efficiency.

Workplace Inspections

Inspections are critical examinations that help identify and record potential workplace hazards that require corrective action, usually conducted with and recorded in reports.

Investigations and Reporting

This is a reporting process for workplace incidents, accidents, injuries, and emergencies and is found in the company’s Policy Statement or in a stand-alone policy.

Emergency Preparedness

This includes plans for dealing with any emergencies such as fires, explosions, natural disasters, and violent outbreaks, reinforced with communication, training, and periodic drills.

Field-Level Assessments

Proper readiness includes providing adequate supplies in key locations, the identification and training of designated first aid attendants, and consistent training of all staff.

First Aid Readiness

Proper readiness includes providing adequate supplies in key locations, the identification and training of designated first aid attendants, and consistent training of all staff.

Statistics and Records

Companies should maintain health and safety statistics and records in a centralized location that is easy to search and review.

Violence and Harassment Policies

These policies must demonstrate the commitment to a workplace free of violence and harassment while outlining the roles and responsibilities of reporting in the organization.

BIS Training Helps Companies Achieve and Maintain COR™

BIS Training health and safety management software helps companies track training and verify required competencies, providing confirmation that all required training topics are covered. Because the system includes the COR™ requirements, managers can easily pull and analyze information as needed or for scheduled audits.