COR certification in Canada: elements, pass marks and rebates by province

What COR is, and why companies get it

• Alberta (ACSA program guidance): ACSA describes the COR audit program as voluntary, with no penalty for not taking part. (ACSA, COR Frequently Asked Questions (Dec 2023))
• Alberta (COR program guidance): ACSA notes that many employers keep their COR because they need it to bid work. (ACSA, COR Frequently Asked Questions (Dec 2023); IHSA COR home)
• Alberta (COR program guidance): If the business passes the audit, the Certifying Partner issues the COR jointly with the Government of Alberta. (Government of Alberta, Get a COR, Overview)

Audit elements by certifying partner

Your partner depends on your industry and province: construction, oil and gas and other sectors each have their own.

• Alberta (ACSA program guidance): ACSA's 2023 COR audit has 10 elements worth 900 points in all: management commitment (70), public, visitors and contracted employers (60), health and safety committees and representatives (65), training (125), hazard assessment (130), hazard control (105), inspections and maintenance (105), emergency response (90), investigations (85) and program administration (65). (ACSA 2023 COR Audit Instrument V1.5 (approved by PIR, in effect 1 Jan 2023))
• Alberta (ACSA program guidance): ACSA's 2023 SECOR evaluation uses the same 10 element names with 48 questions, except that element 3 is health and safety representatives only. Element 3 may be marked not applicable when no representative is legally required. (ACSA 2023 SECOR Evaluation; ACSA SECOR Evaluation Updates (Nov 2022))
• Alberta (COR program guidance): Energy Safety Canada, the oil and gas partner, uses its own 2023 COR audit protocol with elements A to J, ending with the joint health and safety committee and representative. (Energy Safety Canada 2023 COR Audit Protocol)
• Ontario (COR program guidance): IHSA's COR 2020 audit tool has 14 elements, from health and safety policy to management review and management of change. (IHSA, Steps to Achieve COR (COR 2020))
• Manitoba (COR program guidance): The harmonized national construction COR audit tool has 14 core elements, with province-specific items in a supplemental section 15. (MHCA WorkSafely, COR/SECOR Audit Tool; CSAM, New Audit Instrument)
• Ontario (COR program guidance): IHSA says the program must contain all the COR elements, which may be listed under other headings, and that the employer should have a functioning program for at least one year. (IHSA, COR FAQs, Q11)
• Alberta (COR program guidance): Each Certifying Partner writes its own audit instrument, approved by Partnerships in Injury Reduction, so the element lists differ by partner. (Government of Alberta, Get a COR, Audit instruments)

How our ACSA manual follows the 10 elements

Each element gets a policy, the procedures and the record forms, filled in with your company name, people and sites. The crosswalk in the manual is this table:

Pass marks

• Alberta (COR program guidance): To pass, the audit must score at least 80% overall and at least 50% in each audit element. (Government of Alberta, Get a Certificate of Recognition (COR) (program page))
• Alberta (COR program guidance): In a certification year, an Energy Safety Canada SECOR audit must score at least 80% overall and at least 50% in each element. (Energy Safety Canada SECOR External Audit Protocol SAC-CFT-129 rev 1.3 (7 Jul 2026))
• British Columbia (COR program guidance): BCCSA runs Small COR for companies with 19 or fewer employees and Large COR for 20 or more; to pass, score at least 80% overall and at least 50% in each element. (BCCSA, The COR Process)
• Manitoba (COR program guidance): CSAM asks for a score of at least 80% overall and 50% in each element. (CSAM, COR & SECOR Audit Requirements)
• Ontario (COR program guidance): IHSA states a minimum of 65% in each element and 80% overall. (IHSA, COR home page)

SECOR and small employers

More on the small employer route in the SECOR guide.

• Alberta (COR program guidance): A SECOR is for businesses with up to 10 employees. (Government of Alberta, Get a COR, Eligibility; ACSA SECOR Process)
• British Columbia (COR program guidance): BCCSA runs Small COR for companies with 19 or fewer employees and Large COR for 20 or more; to pass, score at least 80% overall and at least 50% in each element. (BCCSA, The COR Process)

Rebates and incentives

• Alberta (ACSA program guidance): ACSA states that a COR or SECOR qualifies Alberta employers for WCB-Alberta premium refunds of up to 20%. (ACSA, COR & SECOR page (WCB-Alberta Partnerships in Injury Reduction))
• British Columbia (COR program guidance): WorkSafeBC calculates the COR incentive as 10% of base assessment premiums for each classification unit in the COR. (WorkSafeBC, Certificate of Recognition (COR), Incentives)
• British Columbia (COR program guidance): WorkSafeBC says a valid certificate does not guarantee the incentive: certificates and incentives are two different streams. (WorkSafeBC, COR Incentives)
• Manitoba (COR program guidance): SAFE Work Certified employers can get a prevention rebate of 15% of premium or $3,000, whichever is greater, up to 75% of premium. (WCB Manitoba / SAFE Work Manitoba, SAFE Work Certified)

What the auditor will look for

Paper alone does not pass. The audit checks that the program runs: records, interviews and what the auditor sees on site.

• Alberta (ACSA program guidance): For a 3-year certificate ACSA asks for at least 12 months of documentation, a score of at least 80% overall and at least 50% in each element. A 1-year certificate needs at least 3 months of documentation. (ACSA, 2023 Auditing Requirements for COR and SECOR)
• British Columbia (COR program guidance): BCCSA looks for at least 6 months, and recommends 12 months, of evidence that the program elements are working. (BCCSA, COR FAQs)
• Alberta (ACSA program guidance): ACSA auditors treat a document as out of scope when it carries another company's name and shows no participation by the company being audited. (ACSA, COR Frequently Asked Questions (Dec 2023))
• Alberta (COR program guidance): A consultant who helped develop your health and safety management system cannot carry out the audit. (Government of Alberta, Get a COR, How to get an external audit)
• Alberta (ACSA program guidance): COR and SECOR through ACSA need ACSA membership or associate membership, and named ACSA courses held by a full-time employee. (ACSA, COR & SECOR page; COR Process page)

How long it takes

• Saskatchewan (COR program guidance): SCSA asks registered companies to complete the training, develop the safety program and submit a safety manual within 12 months, then pass a baseline external audit within 18 months. (SCSA, COR/SECOR page)
• Alberta (COR program guidance): Starting with no health and safety management system, the whole process may take 12 months or more. (Government of Alberta, Get a COR, Timeline)

A plan that works for most small companies

1. Find your certifying partner for your industry and province, and register.
2. Take the training your partner asks for.
3. Write or adapt your manual so it covers every element of your partner's audit, with your company name on every page and your senior manager's signature.
4. Run it: hazard assessments, inspections, meetings, training and investigations, and keep the records.
5. Book the audit when you have the months of records your partner looks for.

Questions

More for employers in Canada

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