SECOR certification: who qualifies, the elements and how to prepare
SECOR is the Certificate of Recognition for small employers. It works like COR, with a shorter evaluation, and it is run by the same certifying partners. Below: who qualifies with each partner, the 10 ACSA elements, the records an evaluator looks for and a plan to get there.
TailgateDocs makes SECOR-ready documents. We do not issue or guarantee SECORs or CORs, run evaluations or act as a certifying partner. The certificate comes from your partner after their training, your months of records and a passed evaluation.
With ACSA in Alberta and 10 or fewer workers? Get the manual organised by the 10 SECOR elements, filled in with your company: SECOR-ready Safety Manual (Alberta, ACSA), CA$199 →
Who qualifies, by certifying partner
Count your workers the way your partner does. ACSA counts everyone on your WCB-Alberta account, including owners and part-time staff.
- 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)
- 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)
- Manitoba (COR program guidance): CSAM asks for a score of at least 80% overall and 50% in each element. (CSAM, COR & SECOR Audit Requirements)
- 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))
The 10 ACSA SECOR elements
- 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))
| Element | Records to have ready (forms in our manual) |
|---|---|
| 1. Management Commitment | 1.1 Health and safety policy (signed); 1.2 Responsibilities and sign-off; 1.3 Organization chart |
| 2. Public, Visitors, and Contracted Employers | 2.1 Visitor sign-in and orientation log; 2.2 Contractor prequalification checklist; 2.3 Contractor orientation and monitoring log |
| 3. Health and Safety Representatives | 3.1 Representative or committee terms of reference; 3.2 Meeting minutes; 3.3 Concern and recommendation log |
| 4. Training | 4.1 Worker orientation checklist; 4.2 Training matrix; 4.3 Safety meeting record; 4.4 Task competency assessment |
| 5. Hazard Assessment | 5.1 Job and task inventory; 5.2 Formal hazard assessment with risk matrix; 5.3 Site-specific hazard assessment (FLHA); 5.4 Hazard assessment review log |
| 6. Hazard Control | 6.1 Safe work practices and procedures list; 6.2 Personal protective equipment issue record; 6.3 Violence and harassment prevention plan; 6.4 Working alone check-in log; 6.5 Fall protection plan |
| 7. Inspections & Maintenance | 7.1 Inspection schedule; 7.2 Workplace inspection report; 7.3 Corrective action log; 7.4 Preventive maintenance schedule; 7.5 Equipment pre-use checklist |
| 8. Emergency Response | 8.1 Emergency response plan (per site); 8.2 Emergency drill report; 8.3 First aid and emergency training record |
| 9. Investigations | 9.1 Incident and near miss report; 9.2 Investigation report |
| 10. Program Administration | 10.1 Document control register; 10.2 Monthly health and safety statistics; 10.3 Annual program review; 10.4 Action plan |
What the evaluator looks for
Records in your own company name, kept over months. A binder with someone else's name on it does not count.
- 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)
- 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 (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)
- 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 rules that apply whatever your size
SECOR is voluntary. These Alberta duties are not, and the manual is built around them.
- Alberta: An employer must assess a work site and identify existing and potential hazards before work begins. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, s. 7(1)-(4))
- Alberta: Every employer must establish an emergency response plan for emergencies that may require rescue or evacuation, and involve affected workers in it. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, ss. 115-117)
- Alberta: Every employer must develop and implement one violence and harassment prevention plan, with the committee, the representative or the workers, train workers in it, and review it at least every 3 years and in the circumstances the Code lists. The text does not use the word written. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, ss. 390(1)-(2), 390.7, 391 (as amended by AR 202/2024))
- Alberta: An employer that regularly employs 5 to 19 workers must designate a worker who is not associated with management as the health and safety representative. (OHS Act, SA 2020, c O-2.2, s. 14(1))
- Alberta: For the committee and representative headcounts, workers who are not paid are not counted. (OHS Regulation, AR 184/2021, s. 1(2))
How to prepare
- Confirm your partner and that your headcount fits its SECOR limit.
- Become a member and book the SECOR training your partner asks for.
- Put your manual in place: policy signed by your most senior manager, a procedure for each element, and the record forms ready.
- Start the records now: hazard assessments before each job, inspections, safety meetings, orientations, drills.
- Keep going until you have the months of records your partner asks for, then book the evaluation.
Rebates are one reason companies do it:
- 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))
Questions
What is SECOR?
SECOR is the small employer version of the Certificate of Recognition. The questions are fewer, but the elements are the same idea: a program you run, with records to show it.
- Alberta (COR program guidance): A SECOR is for businesses with up to 10 employees. (Government of Alberta, Get a COR, Eligibility; ACSA SECOR Process)
Who can get a SECOR?
It depends on your certifying partner. In Alberta the cut-off is 10 employees; in British Columbia construction the small employer route is Small COR.
- 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)
Does element 3 apply to me?
- 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: An employer that regularly employs 5 to 19 workers must designate a worker who is not associated with management as the health and safety representative. (OHS Act, SA 2020, c O-2.2, s. 14(1))
Will this manual get me a SECOR?
No manual can. It gives you the policies, procedures and record forms in your company name. SECOR still needs ACSA training, a program you run, records kept over months and a passed evaluation. TailgateDocs does not issue or guarantee a SECOR.
- 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)
- 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)
What does it cost?
CA$199 in Canadian dollars, one time. You fill in a short form before paying and download your PDF and Word file right after.
11 or more workers? COR-ready Safety Manual (Alberta, ACSA), CA$299. Full guide: COR certification.
More for employers in Canada
Which safety documents does my province ask for?Ontario violence and harassment policyHarassment policy by provinceJoint health and safety committee by provinceFall protection plan by provinceCOR certification guideFederal workplace safety requirementsFLHA form for Alberta and BCWorking alone policyToolbox talks for Canadian crews