Building a Safety Management Program for COR in Ontario

 Certificate of Recognition (COR)

The Certificate of Recognition (COR) is a nationally recognized occupational health and safety (OHS) accreditation program, delivered in Ontario by the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA). Achieving COR demonstrates that an employer has implemented a comprehensive health and safety management system that meets both legal requirements under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and recognized best practices. Below is a step-by-step guide to developing a COR-ready program.

1. Understand COR Requirements

The first step is to gain a clear understanding of COR standards and expectations. In Ontario, the COR program evaluates a company’s health and safety management system against 14 elements, which typically include:

• Health & safety policy

• Hazard assessment, analysis, and control

• Safe work practices and procedures

• Training, orientation, and communication

• Emergency preparedness

• Workplace inspections

• Incident investigations

• Program administration and management review

Employers must pass both an internal and external audit, demonstrating compliance with these elements.

2. Develop a Safety Policy

A strong safety policy serves as the foundation of your program. It should:

• Declare the organization’s commitment to protecting the health and safety of all workers.

• Outline leadership responsibilities, including employer and supervisor duties under OHSA.

• Include clear expectations for workers to follow safety rules.

• Be signed and dated by the most senior executive, showing top-level buy-in.

• Be communicated widely through postings, onboarding, and training.

This policy becomes the benchmark for all subsequent procedures and practices.

3. Conduct a Hazard Assessment

Hazard identification and control are central to COR. Employers should:

• Conduct workplace inspections and job safety analyses (JSAs) to identify risks.

• Consider physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial hazards.

• Prioritize hazards by risk level (likelihood × severity).

• Develop controls using the hierarchy of controls: elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, and PPE.

• Document findings in a hazard registry and review them regularly.

A thorough hazard assessment ensures proactive risk management.

4. Establish Safety Procedures

Clear, written safe work procedures (SWPs) and practices bring the policy and hazard assessment to life. These should:

• Address high-risk activities relevant to the industry (e.g., working at heights, confined space entry, machine guarding, lockout/tagout).

• Outline step-by-step processes for completing tasks safely.

• Be accessible to all workers—posted on-site, included in training, and available digitally.

• Align with OHSA and sector-specific regulations (e.g., Ontario Regulation 213/91 for Construction Projects).

Consistency in procedures reduces variability and prevents unsafe shortcuts.

5. Implement Training Programs

COR requires employers to demonstrate competency across all levels. Training should include:

• Orientation: New workers must be trained on company policies, hazards, and emergency procedures.

• Role-specific training: Supervisors, joint health and safety committee (JHSC) members, and workers receive training tailored to their responsibilities.

• Regulatory training: Working at heights, WHMIS, confined space, etc.

• Refresher training: Ongoing sessions to address changes in hazards, legislation, or procedures.

Training records must be maintained for COR audits and inspections.

6. Monitor and Review

An effective program requires ongoing monitoring and evaluation:

• Conduct scheduled workplace inspections to verify hazard controls are effective.

• Perform incident investigations to uncover root causes, not just symptoms.

• Review key performance indicators (e.g., injury rates, near-miss reports, training completion rates).

• Hold management reviews at least annually to evaluate system effectiveness and make adjustments.

Regular monitoring ensures that safety is not static but continuously responsive to risks.

7. Documentation and Record Keeping

COR certification is evidence-based. Documentation is essential for proving compliance. Employers should maintain:

• Safety meeting minutes

• Training records (sign-in sheets, certificates)

• Inspection reports and corrective actions

• Incident investigation forms and follow-up

• Equipment maintenance logs

• Audit results and management review notes

Organize records in both paper and digital formats to make them easily retrievable for audits.

8. Continuous Improvement

The final step—and ongoing commitment—is to embed continuous improvement into the safety culture:

• Use audit findings, worker feedback, and incident trends to refine the program.

• Engage employees by involving them in safety committees, inspections, and procedure development.

• Benchmark against industry peers and adopt innovations (e.g., safety apps, wearable tech, real-time reporting).

• Celebrate successes, such as milestones without lost-time injuries, to reinforce positive behaviors.

Continuous improvement not only sustains COR certification but strengthens organizational resilience and reputation.

COR Implementation Roadmap (Ontario)

Phase 1 – Preparation & Commitment (Month 1–2)

Goal: Establish leadership buy-in and understand COR requirements.

• Milestones:

  • Executive team signs commitment to pursue COR.

  • Assign a COR Project Lead (often HSE Manager or equivalent).

  • Enroll in IHSA COR orientation workshop.

  • Review the 14 COR elements and OHSA requirements.

  • Develop a high-level project plan with budget and resource allocation.

Deliverables:✔ COR project charter✔ Communication to staff announcing initiative

Phase 2 – Policy & Program Foundations (Month 2–3)

Goal: Build the foundation of your Health & Safety Management System (HSMS).

• Milestones:

  • Draft and approve a corporate Health & Safety Policy (signed by CEO/Owner).

  • Form a Joint Health & Safety Committee (JHSC) or worker representative (as required by OHSA).

  • Establish program structure (roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines).

Deliverables:✔ Approved Health & Safety Policy✔ Organizational safety roles/responsibility matrix

Phase 3 – Hazard Assessment & Controls (Month 3–4)

Goal: Identify risks and establish controls.

• Milestones:

  • Conduct workplace hazard assessments and job hazard analyses (JHAs).

  • Develop a written Hazard Registry.

  • Create risk-based control plans using the hierarchy of controls.

Deliverables:✔ Hazard assessment reports✔ Hazard registry with mitigation strategies

Phase 4 – Procedures & Training (Month 4–6)

Goal: Document safe practices and build competency.

• Milestones:

  • Develop written Safe Work Practices (SWPs) and Safe Job Procedures (SJPs).

  • Roll out mandatory training: WHMIS, Working at Heights, first aid, equipment use.

  • Develop a training matrix to track worker certifications.

  • Launch new worker orientation program.

Deliverables:✔ Safety manual with SWPs and SJPs✔ Training records and matrix

Phase 5 – Implementation & Engagement (Month 6–9)

Goal: Put systems into practice and engage staff.

• Milestones:

  • Conduct regular workplace inspections using checklists.

  • Establish reporting system for incidents and near-misses.

  • Hold monthly safety meetings/toolbox talks.

  • Start tracking KPIs (injuries, near-misses, corrective actions).

Deliverables:✔ Completed inspection reports✔ Incident/near-miss reporting log✔ Monthly safety meeting minutes

Phase 6 – Internal Audit & Gap Closure (Month 9–10)

Goal: Test readiness for external audit.

• Milestones:

  • Train internal auditor (IHSA offers Internal Auditor training).

  • Conduct a full internal COR audit against the 14 elements.

  • Identify gaps and implement corrective actions.

  • Gather all documentation and evidence in audit-ready format.

Deliverables:✔ Internal audit report✔ Corrective action log

Phase 7 – External Audit & Certification (Month 11–12)

Goal: Achieve COR certification.

• Milestones:

  • Submit internal audit to IHSA.

  • Undergo external audit by IHSA-approved auditor.

  • Address any non-conformances identified.

  • Receive COR certification (valid for 3 years, with annual maintenance audits).

Deliverables:✔ External audit report✔ COR certificate

Phase 8 – Continuous Improvement (Year 2 and beyond)

Goal: Maintain and improve the system.

• Milestones:

  • Conduct annual maintenance audits to retain COR.

  • Review incident trends and adjust procedures.

  • Update policies to reflect regulatory changes.

  • Foster ongoing worker participation through JHSC, surveys, and feedback.

Deliverables:✔ Annual audit reports✔ Continuous improvement plan

Quick Timeline Overview

• Months 1–2: Commitment & orientation

• Months 2–3: Policy & structure

• Months 3–4: Hazard assessments

• Months 4–6: Procedures & training

• Months 6–9: Implementation & monitoring

• Months 9–10: Internal audit

• Months 11–12: External audit & certification

• 
  

✅ Following this roadmap, most organizations can achieve COR in 12 months (sometimes longer for larger, complex workplaces). The key is structured planning, leadership support, and strong worker engagement throughout the process.

Key Resources for Building a COR-Certified Safety Program (Ontario)

• IHSA – COR® Certification in Ontario Your official gateway to all things COR®: including resources to get started, internal/external audit info, and program overview. ihsa.ca

• IHSA – Steps to Achieve COR® A structured walkthrough covering application, mandatory training, self-audits, third-party audits, and annual maintenance requirements. ihsa.ca

• IHSA – COR® 2020 Resources Download essential tools: the COR® 2020 Standard, Audit Tool, Audit Handbook, interview and observation guides, and transition tools. ihsa.ca

• IHSA – COR™ Program Guidelines (PDF) Detailed explanation of processes, responsibilities, audit scoring, roles (internal/external auditors), and the full COR™ audit lifecycle. ihsa.ca

• IHSA – AuditSoft™ User Guide (Ontario COR™ 2020 Audit) A practical guide on using AuditSoft software for conducting the COR™ internal audit, including installation, licensing, training, and scoring rules. AuditSoft

• IHSA – COR™ 2020 Orientation (YouTube Video) A quick orientation video introducing the COR™ 2020 process and the types of resources IHSA provides. YouTube

• WSIB – Guide for HSEp Members Registered in COR™ (PDF) Learn how to leverage the Health and Safety Excellence program (HSEp) to support your COR® certification and the WSIB rebates available through topic-based submissions. healthandsafety.wsib.ca

• Calibre Business Solutions – Complete Guide to COR Certification (2025) A recent, practical overview of Ontario’s COR certification process including timelines, requirements, and expert tips for success. calibrebusinesssolutions.ca

• Reddit Insights – Practical Experiences and Pitfalls Anecdotal but valuable practitioner insights on timelines (typically 12–16 months), common stumbling blocks, and real-world recommendations like “documenting everything” and conduct mock audits. Reddit

  
  

Summary Table: What Each Link Offers

Resource Type	Purpose
IHSA Official Pages	Program requirements, audit tools, guidelines
Downloadable PDF Guides	In-depth procedures, responsibilities, audit scoring
AuditSoft User Guide	Software-specific instructions for internal auditing
Orientation Video	Quick orientation to the COR® 2020 process
WSIB HSEp Guide	Financial incentives and alignment with COR® process
External Guide (Calibre)	Step-by-step overview and context (2025)
Practitioner Insights (Reddit)	Real-world advice, common challenges, practical tips

Final Thoughts

Building a COR-certified safety management program in Ontario requires leadership commitment, worker engagement, and disciplined documentation. While the process may seem demanding, the return is substantial: fewer injuries, lower costs, greater compliance, and stronger morale.

Achieving COR is more than a certification—it’s a public declaration that your organization prioritizes safety as a core value.