COR & ISO
COR™ Certificate of Recognition
The certificate of recognition (COR™) is a national accreditation standard intended to demonstrate an employers successful implementation of a recognized occupational health and safety management system.
While COR™ exists in many provinces for various industries, in Ontario the COR™ standard is applicable to the construction industry.
COR™ was officially launched in Ontario by the IHSA in 2012 and was made available to employers to apply. This program focused on 19 elements that were common to the construction industry and intended to promote health and safety in the workplace.
The COR™ program requires that each employer have internal audits conducted on an annual basis, as well as an external audit that is conducted by a member of the IHSA every third year. To ensure the internal audits were performed correctly, there is a requirement for the designated internal auditor to complete training sessions hosted by the IHSA.
In January of 2020, the COR™ program was revised to coincide with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development’s new Occupational Health and Safety Management System Accreditation Standard.
Companies that were approved under the previous COR™ standard are able to convert to the COR™ 2020 standard by making some modifications to the existing program. Companies that are COR™ approved and are interested in achieving COR™ 2020 are encouraged to do so as often times it doesn’t take a lot of work to make the transition.
How can we help?
Our consultants are very experienced in the construction industry and have assisted many companies with the development, implementation and overall management of their COR™ 2020 health and safety management system, as well as advising on the results of internal and external audits. Our goal is to assist in making the COR™ 2020 process simple and provide expert advice where and when needed. If your company is looking to become COR™ 2020 certified, or if you are transitioning from COR™ to COR™ 2020, and are looking for assistance or guidance, please contact us.
ISO 45001-18 / CSA Z45001:19
Occupational Health and Safety Management System
In 2018, The International Organization for Standardization, commonly known as ISO, created an international standard known as ISO 45001-18 for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. The implementation of this standard is to demonstrate an organization’s responsible approach to managing occupational health and safety risks, and its commitment to compliance with the applicable legislation.
Due to ISO being an international organization, it is up to employers to interpret and apply the requirements in a way that complies with local regulatory requirements. In Canada, the Canadian Standards Association, also known as CSA, have created a Canadian version of ISO 45001 known as CSA Z45001:19, which was completed and released in 2019.
CSA Z45001:19 further outlines the amendments necessary to properly apply ISO 45001-18 in Canadian workplaces. Similar to the COR™ 2020 requirements, ISO 45001-18 also has a requirement to be internally audited annually, as well as audited externally every three years.
In 2020, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development developed the Occupational Health and Safety Management System Accreditation Standard which aligns with the ISO 45001 OHSMS standard, as well as CSA Z45001:19.
How can we help?
Our consultants can assist your company with the development, implementation and management of an ISO 45001-18 occupational health and safety management systems. If your company is looking to be accredited under the ISO45001-18 standard and are looking for assistance or guidance, please contact us.
The STC consulting process Includes:
- Complete program customization
- Onsite or virtual detailed workplace assessment/gap analysis to ensure the scope of the workplace is captured
- All policies and procedures created as individual documents in an organized manner, divided by element number
- Forms and templates suited to fulfill program requirements
- Catalogue of safety talks
- COR 2020/ISO45001 program implementation plan provided
- Virtual update meetings during program development as needed/requested
- 4-hour in person or virtual program roll out to teach how to use and implement the program
Additional Services:
- Implementation assistance
- Administrative overviews
- Monthly consulting visits/inspections
- Ongoing safety management services
- And more…
How can becoming COR™2020 or ISO 45001-18 (CSA Z45001:19) benefit your workplace and put money back into your pocket?
In Ontario, secondary to the need to keep workers safe, there are two program that will provide companies with WSIB rebates that have programs approved under the COR™ 2020 or ISO 45001-18 occupational health and safety management system standards.
WSIB Health and Safety Excellence Program (HSEp)
The Health and Safety Excellence program was built in 2019 with an advisory committee of WSIB representatives, service delivery providers and the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development Prevention Office.
The program helps businesses improve their workplace health and safety – the program starts from awareness or knowledge of basic health and safety requirements and builds to excellence, such as meeting a recognized national or international health and safety standard.
Businesses that implement program topics can improve their health and safety performance by creating a safer workplace, which can result in lower workplace injury and illness rates and reduced WSIB premiums. You can also earn rebates and recognition for your investments in health and safety.
To learn more about the WSIB’s HSE program, please visit the HSEp page of our website. If you are interested in enrolling in the program, please contact us for further information.
Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) Occupational Health and Safety Management System Accreditation Standard
This program, administered through Supporting Ontario’s Safe Employers Program, is intended to identify excellence in occupational health and safety management through the accreditation of these systems by the chief prevention officer.
While this accreditation standard is completely voluntary, those employers who successfully meet the accreditation standard requirements are eligible for WSIB rebates over a three-year period. In addition, approved employers will receive recognition for their efforts on the MLITSD’s website.
To learn more about MLITSD’s OHSMS Accreditation Standard and how to enroll, please contact us.
