COR in Canada:
Guide & Association Directory
Information on the Certificate of Recognition (COR)
Welcome to AuditSoft’s COR guide and directory. Here, you will find information on what COR certification is, the benefits of participating in the COR program, and a list of Canadian safety associations that can help you get started on your journey to COR.
Browse frequently asked questions on COR below or go straight to our directory of health and safety associations and certifying partners for COR.
Frequently Asked Questions on COR:
The Certificate of Recognition (COR) is a voluntary, audit-based employer certification program in Canada. It is intended to motivate employers to take a proactive role in occupational health and safety (OHS). Employers are awarded with COR after they implement OHS programs that have been proven – through auditing – to meet nationally recognized standards.
COR is designed for any employer concerned with minimizing risk and improving operational efficiency.
There are many reasons why employers may want to get their company COR-certified, but “risk management” and “sustainability” are the two most commonly cited.
Other reasons employers cite for seeking COR:
- “COR is a way for us to prove our OHS legal and regulatory compliance and corporate due diligence”
- “COR helps us lower our insurance (WCB/WSIB) rates” – in some provinces in Canada COR qualifies an organization for financial rebates and incentives
- “COR differentiates us from our competitors”
- “We are required to have COR to bid on a project”
- “We have been offered a contract, but are required to have COR”
The bottom line is that if you are providing goods or services to the private or public sector, you are better off and more competitive with a COR than without.
There are a range of benefits to becoming COR-certified:
- COR has been proven to reduce workplace injuries and time-loss claims – resulting in increased productivity and profitability
- COR certification is a pre-requisite to bid on many industry and provincial government tenders – and COR-holders are often viewed more favourably in private tenders
- Companies that are issued a COR can earn an annual rebate of up to 20% on their Workers compensation insurance premiums (eligibility is determined by your province)
- Companies who maintain COR are viewed as leaders in their industry, working to reduce workplace incidents and injuries
A recent study found that COR™-certified firms in Ontario experienced a 28% reduction in lost-time injury rate and a 20% reduction in high-impact injury rate (when compared to non-COR™-certified firms of a similar size in the same sector). The research was conducted under the leadership of UBC’s Dr. Chris McLeod.
The reduction in the lost time injury rate in Ontario is consistent with the reduction in the short and long-term injury and fatality rate in BC, the reduction in the lost-time injury rate in Alberta, and the time loss injury rate in Saskatchewan.
Dr. Chris McLeod describes the methodology he and his team utilized in conducting their research on COR in this IHSA podcast.
We would recommend registering with a health and safety association / certifying partner as the first step towards COR certification. Browse our directory to find an association that supports COR in your province.
An audit typically requires six to nine months of evidence, so your OHS program and management system should be in operation for at least that amount of time. The complete COR certification process from start to finish takes most employers around two years, depending on how effective and well-documented their occupational health and safety management system is.
Your COR certification is valid for three years, and you will have to complete an annual internal audit to maintain your COR in years two and three.
A COR audit is a systematic, independent, and documented process for obtaining evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which an OHS program and management system meets the high standards established for COR. The evidence is obtained through a combination of documentation review, interviews, and observations.
Health and safety associations and certifying partners can connect you with a certified COR auditor.
Though some health and safety associations and certifying partners still use a combination of paper and spreadsheet type solutions, the industry is starting to embrace technology to provide more meaningful results in the form of data and standardized reports.
AuditSoft is an example of such a solution and is the leading provider of OHS auditing software, built specifically for Canada’s COR.
AuditSoft ensures your audit results are reliable and defensible, and provides valuable assurance to stakeholders over your commitment to the health, safety and well-being of your workers.
Find an Association for COR in Canada
Health and Safety Associations and Certifying Partners That Support COR in Canada
Browse our directory of Canadian health and safety associations and certifying partners that can help you attain COR. You are free to register with any association in your province, and may select an association that has already onboarded AuditSoft.
Alberta
AuditSoft Approved | Safety Association / CP | Construction | Energy | Food Processing | Forestry | Manufacturing | Municipalities | Private Care | Transport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Alberta Association for Safety Partnerships (AASP) | ||||||||
– | Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Alberta Food Processors Association | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
– | Alberta Forest Products Association (AFPA) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association (AMHSA) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
– | Alberta Safety Council (ASC) | ||||||||
| Continuing Care Safety Association | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
– | Energy Safety Canada | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
 | Manufacturers’ Health & Safety Association (MHSA) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
British Columbia
AuditSoft Approved | Safety Association / CP | Agriculture | Construction | Energy | Forestry | Manufacturing | Municipalities | Tourism & Hospitality | Transport | Continuing Care |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AgSafe | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
– | BC Construction Safety Alliance | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
– | BC Forest Safety Council | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| BC Municipal Safety Association (BCMSA) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
– | Energy Safety Canada | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
– | go2HR | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| SafetyDriven | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Community Social Services Health & Safety Association of BC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| SafeCare BC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Manitoba
AuditSoft Approved | Safety Association / CP | Agriculture | Construction | Energy | Forestry | Manufacturing | Municipalities | Healthcare | Transport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | Manitoba Heavy Construction Association | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
– | Construction Safety Association of Manitoba | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| S2 Safety: Sales and Service Safety Association | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| RPM Trucking Industry Safety program | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Made Safe | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| MASH (Manitoba Association for Safety in Healthcare) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
New Brunswick
AuditSoft Approved | Safety Association / CP | Agriculture | Construction | Energy | Forestry | Manufacturing | Municipalities | Tourism & Hospitality | Transport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | New Brunswick Construction Safety Association | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Newfoundland and Labrador
AuditSoft Approved | Safety Association / CP | Agriculture | Construction | Energy | Forestry | Manufacturing | Municipalities | Tourism & Hospitality | Transport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | Newfoundland & Labrador Construction Safety Association | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Made Safe Newfoundland and Labrador | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Northwest Territories & Nunavut
AuditSoft Approved | Safety Association / CP | Construction | Government | Mining | Manufacturing | Retail | Hospitality | Healthcare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | Northern Safety Association |
Nova Scotia
AuditSoft Approved | Safety Association / CP | Agriculture | Construction | Energy | Forestry | Manufacturing | Municipalities | Tourism & Hospitality | Transport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Safety Nova Scotia | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Ontario
AuditSoft Approved | Safety Association / CP | Agriculture | Construction | Energy | Forestry | Manufacturing | Municipalities | Tourism & Hospitality | Transport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Have a question related to IHSA’s COR™ in Ontario? Post it on COReXchange.
Prince Edward Island
*PEI is the only province in Canada that does not participate in the COR program and is a true exception.
Quebec
*Quebec does not require COR for any local projects or contracts but recognizes that it is necessary to make successful bids on work in other provinces and territories. Quebec is home to only one certifying partner, and Quebecois organizations looking to submit an application for COR should apply through l’Association paritaire pour la santé et la sécurité du travail du secteur de la construction (ASP Construction).
Saskatchewan
AuditSoft Approved | Safety Association / CP | Agriculture | Construction | Energy | Forestry | Manufacturing | Municipalities | Tourism & Hospitality | Transport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
– | Heavy Construction Safety Association of Saskatchewan | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Safety Association of Saskatchewan Manufacturers | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Saskatchewan Trucking Association | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
Yukon
AuditSoft Approved | Safety Association / CP | Agriculture | Construction | Energy | Forestry | Manufacturing | Municipalities | Tourism & Hospitality | Transport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | Northern Safety Network Yukon (NSNY) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Is your association missing?
Please contact us to have them added:
[email protected]
Have a question on COR in Ontario?
Post it in the COReXchange forum:
corexchange.ca
AuditSoft: The #1 COR Audit Tool
AuditSoft is the leading OHS auditing software. Our COR audit tool saves safety professionals up to 60% of their time auditing. AuditSoft is used to conduct thousands of audits annually across all industries in Canada, and we are proudly rated 4.5/5 stars on Trustpilot.
