How to Become a COR Certified Business in Six Steps

The Certificate of Recognition (COR) is a nationally recognized certification that helps employers maintain compliance with Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) regulations. COR is endorsed by the Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA).

Getting a COR certification has many benefits for businesses, including improving health and safety compliance rates, preventing accidents and injuries in the workplace, and saving on insurance costs. Before a business gets COR, there are several things they must do to qualify.

What is required to achieve COR?

To be COR certified, businesses must achieve the following:

1.      Have a senior manager and internal auditor (who will be participating in the auditing process) complete the required training as prescribed by the provincial authority

2.      The business must be registered and in good standing with the provincial workers’ compensation body

3.      Have a documented health and safety management system that addresses the COR standard requirements, including:

• Policies, procedures, risk assessments, forms, records, and minutes
• Records of the health and safety management system for the past 12 months

4.      Employers must ensure employees have knowledge and understanding of COR and Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) management systems and procedures

What does the COR audit cover?

A third-party audit of the business by a provincially authorized organization (certifying partner) is also necessary for the COR certification. The audit will examine three areas:

1.      Documentation – To ensure compliance with the legislation and the COR standard

2.      Inspection – A physical inspection of the workplace and equipment

3.      Interview – The auditor will interview management and workers to determine their understanding of the OHS management system

Who is a COR certifying partner?

Part of completing the application process for COR involves hiring a COR certifying partner to conduct the external audit for the COR certification. A certifying partner also:

• Coordinates the registration process for the COR program
• Develops industry-appropriate audit requirements
• Maintains confidentiality of employer records and audits and ensures quality assurance

How to find a COR certifying partner?

COR certifying partners are generally organized based on industry. Finding a certifying partner involves searching your province’s database based on your classification unit (CU) number.

If there is no certifying partner for your industry, your Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) regulatory body will align you with an existing certifying partner in a related industry. 
If you are in Ontario, there is only one certifying partner, the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA).

How do I get COR certified?

Here is a step-by-step breakdown of what it takes to be COR certified in six steps:

1.      Form a COR team – This team should include your Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) senior management representative. Your representative will be responsible for ensuring compliance with the COR requirements, overseeing the COR program in the workplace, and be the main contact for the certifying partner. Your team must also include a designated internal auditor. The auditor must be a full-time permanent employee and conduct internal audits for COR purposes.

2.      Complete and submit the COR application form to a provincial COR certifying partner – Certifying partners have contractual agreements with the government of most provinces and are responsible for guiding eligible employers through the external audit of the COR process.

3.      Enroll and complete mandatory training – One senior manager and a designated full-time employee must complete the mandatory COR training. The training helps the employer to understand COR, their responsibilities, and commit to the program. The employee(s) that complete the courses will become the designated internal auditor(s).

4.      Implement the 14 elements of COR – Employers must ensure they have a health & safety program in place. If one was already implemented, it is recommended to review to ensure compliance with the laws of your province and COR requirements.  Additionally, employers must have adequate PPE, employee health & safety training and documentation, and frequent workplace inspections.

5.      Get audited – Once your health & safety program has been implemented and all the required documentation is available, it’s time to get audited. You must first start with an internal audit by your designated internal auditor. The evidence gathered for pre-assessment and review must be valid for the preceding 12 months from the audit date.

Once validated, the certifying partner will conduct a COR certification audit and validate that all is in accordance with the standard. Whether or not you will be approved for COR comes down to the findings from your audit.

6.      Monitor and improve – Once the audit is complete and COR is awarded, maintenance audits must be done in years two and three, before recertification in year four. This concludes the lifecycle of COR.

Do you need help getting COR certified? 

Our expert consultants will help you prepare to get COR certified and pass the audits. We offer staff training, internal audits, on-site consultation, 24/7 advice line, and more, to keep you compliant. Speak to an expert today by calling 1(833)247-3652 to get started.