worksafebc certificate of recognition cor in bc

The Partners Program, also known as the certificate of recognition (COR), encourages employers to create an occupational health and safety management system that goes beyond the current legal requirements. The voluntary program recognizes employers that are proactive about improving workplace safety, and dedicated to continual improvement. Employers earn a certificate of recognition when they implement an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) that has successfully passed an audit and met WorkSafeBC's standards. As part of the COR program, employers whose occupational health and safety management systems have passed an audit and are in good standing with WorkSafeBC are considered for financial incentives. Incentive payments are calculated using your company's assessable payroll and the base rate for your classification unit (CU) for the incentive year.

TYPES OF COR

The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) COR is awarded to employers that implement and maintain an OHSMS that exceeds regulatory requirements. This OHSMS should be comprehensive and based on a "Plan, Do, Check, Act" cycle focused on continual improvement. For more information about the elements of an OHSMS, see Occupational health & safety management systems.

​Injury Management/Return-to-Work (RTW) COR. The Return-to-Work (RTW) COR certification program remains frozen pending the creation of a new standard, audit tool, and revised auditor training. This means that no new employers will be eligible for a Return-to-work COR. Employers currently RTW-certified can continue participating in the program until further notice. Auditing requirements for these employers remain the same. For more information, contact your certifying partner.

BENEFITS OF COR

Safe and healthy workplace — COR-certified employers demonstrate leadership, commitment to continual improvement, and dedication to worker health and safety. Possessing a certificate of recognition demonstrates to your workers, your industry peers, and the public that you value a workplace that's safe and secure from injury, illness, and disease. This commitment translates into a safer and healthier workforce and work environment, which helps ensure your workers go home safely every day.

Competitive advantage — Having a certificate of recognition reflects your commitment to workplace health and safety, which may make it easier to hire and keep workers. It can also give you an advantage when it comes to work contracts. As clients become more socially-conscious and discerning in choosing who to work with, it's important to make the most of every opportunity that will give your company a competitive edge.

Financial savings — Achieving a certificate of recognition can also have positive financial impacts. When you maintain a safe and healthy workplace with few worker injuries and shorter claims duration, your company's WorkSafeBC experience rating will improve. This will eventually lead to a discount on your WorkSafeBC premiums, which can result in significant savings.

THE COR PROCESS

A certifying partner is an organization that, through agreement with WorkSafeBC, helps guide employers toward a Certificate of Recognition (COR), which certifies that the employer has implemented a safety management system that meets established standards as verified by an audit. Certifying partners are typically safety associations recognized by WorkSafeBC as having in-depth industry knowledge that is used to promote and develop workplace health and safety; there are different certifying partners for different industries. Once an employer registers with a certifying partner, the employer is first helped to implement an effective health and safety management system, then to complete and pass a qualifying audit.

​In order to qualify for COR, a certification audit is completed by an external auditor for large employers (20 or more full-time employees) or by an internal auditor for small employers (fewer than 20 full-time employees). To pass this audit, a total score of 80 per cent must be attained, and a minimum of 50 per cent must be scored on each audit element. This certification audit is valid for three years. In the following two years, the same audit process is used for internal or maintenance audits. The main purpose of the internal/maintenance audit is to identify and correct deficiencies in the management system.
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GG HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSULTING CAN ASSIST YOUR COMPANY IN PREPARING FOR COR CERTIFICATION

​GG Health and Safety Consulting's professional and certified Health and Safety Consultants are able to develop your small or large business a complete written occupational health and safety program specific to your companies operations, specific to your industry and which will meet with all WorkSafeBC legislative requirements:

GG Health and Safety Consulting provides safety consulting, safety consultant, OHS safety programs development, safety training courses and OHS safety audits in BC, Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Langley, Delta and Victoria.