COR™ FAQs
What is COR™?
COR™ is a certification, provided by the IHSA (Infrastructure Health and Safety Association) that a company’s health and safety management system meets a set standard. It is a three-year certification provided by IHSA, the only approved registrar in Ontario.
How does the COR™ certification process work?
The incumbent company successfully completes an internal and external audit following the COR™ standards and guidelines and is awarded COR™ certification. This step typically takes 12 – 18 months.
The certification is valid for three years. To maintain their COR™ certification the company must successfully complete internal maintenance audits in years 2 and 3, results of which have been approved by IHSA.
In year 4, the company must re-apply for COR™ program and follow the same cycle again.
Why would a company want to pursue COR™?
More and more buyers of construction services in Ontario require COR™ certification. These buyers include City of Toronto, Infrastructure Ontario, Metrolinx, TTC, GTAA, City of Brampton, York Region, City of Mississauga, etc.
Companies who are COR™ certified, demonstrate to buyers that their Health & Safety Management system is developed, implemented, and maintained. COR™ certified companies have a proactive approach to eliminating workplace injuries and illnesses and follow superior safety practices in the workplace.
Is specific training required?
Yes. Company Senior Management and the designated Internal Auditor are required to complete COR™ training. Refer to the IHSA for COR™ training requirements.
My company has multiple WSIB account numbers. Can I complete 1 COR™ audit for all accounts?
Each WSIB account held by an employer can independently achieve COR™ certification.
My company operates in multiple provinces. Can we use the COR™ certification from other provinces in Ontario?
COR™ certification must be achieved in the province where the company office is located. If your company has an office in Ontario and your company works in Ontario, the company must achieve COR™ certification through the IHSA in Ontario.
Companies who have an out of province COR™ and do not have a permanent office in Ontario, may apply for interim equivalency.
Why should a company consider a COR™ expert to help them?
COR™ experts at Safety First Consulting are very well experienced applying the COR™ standards and guidelines. We help set you up for success from the beginning of your COR™ journey, working with your Team to develop and refine your company documents, supporting internal training of your Team and helping to collect and catalogue supporting evidence of compliance.
What has changed with COR 2020?
COR™ 2020 has 14 elements, reduced from 19 in COR™ 2015, by blending some of the existing elements and reducing the amount of redundancy. The overall format has also changed in COR™ 2020.
The following new requirements have been included:
- Procurement and Change Management
- Contractor Management
- Control of Documents
- Control of Records
What is a COR™ 2020 Gap analysis?
The full gap analysis that will be performed by our consultants consists of:
- Reviewing your company’s health and safety program, section by section.
- Reviewing supplementary documentation and H&S Forms.
- Confirming areas of compliance with health and safety legislation and COR™ program requirements.
- Identifying areas of deficiency.
- Preparing Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to rectify identified deficiencies.
How can the COR™ GAP ANALYSIS help?
The completion of the gap analysis can assist you with working towards COR™ Certification by:
- Identifying existing areas of success in your health and safety management system.
- Identifying areas where improvement efforts may be focused.
How can Safety First Consulting help a company achieve COR™ Certification?
The Safety First Team can assist your Team with:
- Development of COR™ compliant Policies and Program
- Development of site-specific Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)
- Development of site-specific Safe Work Practices (SWp)
- Development of site-specific Safe Job Procedures (SJP)
- Development of site-specific procedures for Occupational Health
- Employee training on COR™ Program and Procedures
How will Safety First Consulting help a company prepare for an external audit?
Safety First Consulting will assist you with conducting field visits to ensure all the COR observation questions are addressed properly.
Safety First Consulting will assist you to prepare your employees for external audit interview questions and answers.
For more information about our COR™ Services, please contact us
