What is COR®
The Certificate of Recognition (COR®) program is an occupational health and safety program designation verifying that a company has a fully-implemented health and safety program that meets national standards. It is endorsed by participating members of the Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA), including the SCSA. COR® is the national standard in safety recognition and is now frequently required as a pre-qualification and/or condition of contract by public and private buyers of construction across Canada.
The main goal of the program is to provide companies with the knowledge and tools to develop effective health and safety management systems to identify weaknesses that can lead to costly workplace injuries and incidents.
How to attain COR®
- Register for the COR® program
- There are two types of applications:
- Full Saskatchewan COR® available to companies that have permanent offices in Saskatchewan; and
- Saskatchewan COR® Equivalency available to companies that are currently working in Saskatchewan that do not have a permanent office in Saskatchewan and they hold a valid COR® in another province.
- Complete the four mandatory courses
- Develop and implement a safety program
- Undergo and pass an external safety audit
To maintain certification, the company must submit a satisfactory internal or external audit annually.
Benefits of Certification
- Injury prevention and cost savings: COR® certified companies can experience reduced financial costs associated with injuries and incidents that affect their financial bottom line. A good safety record will enhance an organization’s reputation in the industry. Employers have found an evaluation of their health and safety program is an effective way to identify organizations weaknesses to be corrected. This can lead to improvements in the system, and fewer job injuries and less job interruptions will contribute to a more productive and profitable company
- Pre-bid qualification: COR® certification is a pre-bid qualification requirement for many buyers of construction in Saskatchewan. Qualifying to bid puts a company at a decided advantage when compared to companies that are not COR® certified.
- Due diligence: The documentation and general safety awareness produced by the COR® process may also provide evidence of due diligence if a company is charged with an Occupational Health and Safety offence. Through the process of training, program development, and implementation, companies build a more effective organization
Why look for a COR® Certification
- Companies that are carefully in their management of safety are more likely to be carefully methodical about other aspects of their business management – marketing, financial management, operations, human resources, communications, ethical awareness, environmental, risk management and quality.
- Safety and methodical safety management can be a powerful asset to a company – a contributor to its performance and a proxy of good management. Many of Saskatchewan’s leading businesses have made significant advances in safety as a principal risk-mitigation tool to control avoidable losses in regard to production (down-time), environmental impact, human (injuries and fatalities), financial, and company reputation.
- Firms can face hefty fines, criminal charges, and jail time for failing to fulfill their legislative obligation to ensure the safety of their workers
For more information on the programs, or to see a list of COR® certified companies,
visit: http://www.scsaonline.ca/programs/