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A Certificate of Recognition (COR) is awarded to employers who develop health and safety programs that meet established standards.
A COR shows that the employer’s health and safety management system has been evaluated by a certified auditor and meets provincial standards. These standards are established by Occupational Health and Safety (OHS).
To get a COR, your business must first have a health and safety management system in place, and then have it successfully audited through a Certifying Partner.
If your business passes the audit, the Certifying Partner will jointly issue a COR with the Government of Alberta.
For more information read Responsibilities of a COR holder
A Certifying Partner is an organization that:
You will need to choose a Certifying Partner as part of the application process.
There are different types of CORs, based on the number of employees you have.
A SECOR is for businesses with up to 10 employees.
To get a SECOR, you must conduct a self-assessment of your health and safety management system, then have the assessment reviewed by your Certifying Partner.
If a business has a SECOR and may grow beyond 10 employees, it can follow a transition program to get a standard COR
A COR is for businesses with 10 or more employees.
To get a COR, you must hire an external auditor to audit your health and safety management system, then have the audit reviewed by your Certifying Partner.
Before your business can get a COR, you must have a health and safety management system in place that meets provincial standards.
There are 13 Certifying Partners authorized to administer the COR program to Alberta employers. Choose a Certifying Partner that has the right fit for your company and industry.
After you choose a Certifying Partner, they will help you develop a health and safety management system that meets their requirements.
If you already have a health and safety management system in place, your Certifying Partner will give you recommendations and training to meet provincial standards.
Once you have a health and safety management system in place, you’ll need to have it reviewed. To get an audit:
Auditors should submit the completed audit report and instrument to their Certifying Partner for quality assurance review within 21 days after completion of data gathering activities. Certifying Partners may approve additional time (up to 24 days) for audit report submission in extenuating circumstances. Audits reports must be submitted within 45 days of completion of data gathering activities.
If a consultant helped you develop your health and safety management system, that consultant cannot carry out the audit.
An audit instrument organizes audit procedures into steps and actions for the auditor. Each Certifying Partner develops their own audit instrument, which is approved by the Partnerships in Injury Reduction. All audit instruments will conduct:
The audit will determine how well your health and safety management system is working, and if it complies with your Certifying Partner’s standards.
Once the auditor has completed the audit, they will send a written report to your Certifying Partner for review. To pass the audit, you must score at least 80% overall, with a minimum score of 50% in each of the audit elements.
If it passes, the Certifying Partner sends a request to the Government of Alberta to issue a COR. The certificate is then signed by both the government and your Certifying Partner, and sent to you.
When going through the audit process, keep in mind:
Connect with the Certificate of Recognition program:
Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-415-8690 (in Alberta)
Toll free: 1-866-415-8690
Email: [email protected]
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