Earn your Certification of Recognition (C.O.R)

What’s involved in achieving a C.O.R.?

A company creates a safety manual.
Introduce the entire staff to the safety manual and provide adequate instruction.
Begin using the safety program, including hazard assessments daily, weekly, and monthly as required.
Collect no less than three months' worth of paperwork from the operational safety program. At the same time, ensure all necessary staff have received appropriate training and certifications in first aid, leadership courses and safety management courses.
Once three months' worth of paperwork has been collected, a 3rd party auditor can perform the audit.
The audit reveals the safety program’s score, which determines whether the program achieves its C.O.R.
Safety programs that complete the initial audit are required to complete another audit a year later, providing a year’s worth of paperwork.

The C.O.R. is achieved by writing and implementing an organized safety program. This program combines your safety policies, forms and documentation with safe work practices and job procedures. Your safety program then operates as a cohesive system that helps keep your workers safe and your directors protected. All documents, sites and staff are audited internally on an annual basis and by a peer or registered external auditor every three years. Our team of safety professionals brings the expertise to help you achieve and maintain your C.O.R.

How Fast Can I achieve my C.o.R.?

It can take between four and six months to acquire the necessary documentation. Additional challenges and complicated circumstances can increase this time frame significantly.

When should I consider Completing the C.O.R. Requirements?

For a young company seeking more significant projects, you want to begin pursuing your C.O.R. certification six to twelve months before you want to start submitting a bid on a project that requires a C.O.R. from any bidding contractor.

If your company has had a safety program for one, five, or ten years but has never achieved a C.O.R., you may choose to complete the C.O.R. requirements. If you have maintained your safety program for any length of time, The C.O.R. requirements are much easier to meet because your company is not starting the program from scratch.

How much is the c.o.r. Going to cost me?

This cost varies based on the company’s size and the amount of work required to achieve C.O.R. certification.

Generally, the cost ranges from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the corporation’s size.

Why should You get a C.O.R.?

A C.O.R. may or may not be the best course of action for your company. When bidding on projects for municipalities or government projects, you may be evaluated on the following:

Whether a company is C.O.R. certified or not,
W.C.B. statistics or insurance ratings,
Better Business Bureau ratings.

Another reason your company might pursue a C.O.R. would be to decrease your W.C.B. costs and potentially earns rebates on your premiums. These rebates can be as high as 20% annually, as long as the company keeps its injury statistics down.

If your company has a high W.C.B. rate from past incidents, it may be wise to pursue a C.O.R. to decrease your W.C.B. rate.

If you are a small private firm that isn’t bidding on large jobs or working with smaller general contractors, you do not necessarily require a C.O.R.

Individual tradespeople do not require a C.O.R.

What happens to Your C.O.R. if You have a safety incident?

You can’t lose your C.O.R. because of a safety incident or multiple safety incidents. Your company can lose it's C.O.R. if you fail the annual audit, which occurs in a certification or recertification year. In this case, you will lose your C.O.R. and any benefits the C.O.R. has afforded your company.

If you fail during an internal audit year, which is year one and year two of the three-year cycle, your company won’t lose its C.O.R., but your certifying partners will require you to submit a corrective action plan. If you have experienced a failed audit or are concerned as you prepare for an audit (internal or external) and need help, get in touch with us today!

Who issues your C.O.R.?

The C.O.R. is issued to companies that develop health and safety programs that meet established provincial standards. In Alberta, certification is issued by Alberta Employment and Immigration and co-signed by W.C.B. as well as one of several certifying partners, including:

Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association (AMHSA)
Alberta Safety Council (A.S.C.)
Continuing Care Safety Association
ENFORM
Manufacturers’ Health & Safety Association (MHSA)
Western Wood Truss Association of Alberta
Alberta Association for Safety Partnerships (AASP)
Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA)
Alberta Corporate Human Resources
Alberta Food Processors Association
Alberta Forest Products Association (AFPA)
Alberta Hotel Safety Association (AHSA)
Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA)

These three organizations collectively form "The Partnerships Group," which ultimately issues your C.O.R.

A C.O.R recognizes that a certified auditor has evaluated the employer's health and safety management system, which must meet partnership standards.

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