COR Program & Audit Overview

There are two types of COR certification:

• Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) COR (10% financial incentive on your WorkSafeBC premium)
• Injury Management / Return-to-Work (RTW) COR (currently on hold)

The COR program is available to large employers (those with 20 or more full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. The SECOR (small employer COR) program is available to those employers with fewer than 20 FTE employees. To calculate your FTE equivalence, divide your annual payroll hours by 2,080.

The Injury Management/Return-to-Work (RTW) COR audit is only available to those employers grandfathered in (who have been certified for Injury Management/Return-to-Work COR since 2013 or earlier). It is not currently available to employers entering the COR program for the first time.

The COR audits assess different elements of your safety management systems. The audit is similar to an “open-book exam” in that the OHS Audit Tools are provided to you before the audit, so you are aware of what the auditor will be reviewing with regards to documentation, observation of your workplace and through interviews of your employees, and can prepare accordingly. The COR audit includes the following elements:

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) COR Audit

• Management & Leadership Commitment
• Hazard Identification & Control
• Safe Work Procedures
• Inspections
• Investigation of Incidents
• Training
• Program Administration
• Joint Occupational Health & Safety Committee

Injury Management / Return-to-Work (RTW) COR Audit

• Policy, Management & Leadership
• Resources, Education & Training
• Stay at Work (SAW) & Return to Work (RTW)
• Communication

Certification/Recertification Audit

Year	Audit Type	Audit Performed By
1	Certification Audit	External Auditor
2	Maintenance Audit	Internal or External Auditor
3	Maintenance Audit	Internal or External Auditor
4	Recertification Audit	External Auditor

Certification Audit is required in Year 1 and Year 4 of the COR program. Certification Audit in Year 4 is also referred to as “Recertification Audits.”

These audits will be conducted by a go2HR-certified External Auditor. To meet the minimum COR standards, each certification audit must:

• Attain an 80% overall score;
• Attain a minimum of 50% in each element; and
• Meet the established quality assurance standards of both go2HR and WorkSafeBC.

Maintenance Audit

Once the employer achieves COR certification, completion of a Maintenance Audit is required in Year 2 and Year 3 in order for the company to maintain its certification status.

The purpose of the maintenance audit is twofold. First, it shows that the company is maintaining the system originally audited by the external auditor during the Certification Audit. Secondly, it provides an ongoing status check on the progress of recommendations made during the last Certification Audit. Maintenance Audits do not need to result in a minimum score in order to pass.

These audits may be conducted by a go2HR-certified External Auditor, Internal Auditor, or student internal or student external auditor. Maintenance audits must be completed within six to twelve months following the previous audit (Certification or Maintenance). Companies may choose to use an Internal Auditor to conduct the Maintenance Audits in order to save costs.

The scope of the audit for your organization may vary, depending on the number of employees, operating locations and the diversity and seasonality of your operations. Work with your COR external auditor or go2HR to determine the required scope for the audit.

Scope:
Audits utilize three methods of collecting data – observation, documentation and interviews (ODI). Each site visit must consist of at least observations and site-specific record review (if the records were not already reviewed at the main office). Depending on the complexity of the company, it may not be necessary to perform interviews at all sites that are visited.

Sampling:
An organization’s audits must encompass a representative sample of all operations, activities and facilities within its control where permanent, casual or temporary staff may work, where relevant activities are running at a minimum of 70% operating capacity. As part of the background information gathering process, all operations, locations and sites should be outlined and assessed to determine which to include in the audit, during which season.

Operations:
Your organization may have different types of operation. For example, if you are a ski area, you may also have accommodation and food and beverage services. Depending on how your organization is registered with WorkSafeBC (i.e. which Classification Units (CUs) your WorkSafeBC Account is registered in), you may have the option to audit all or just some of your operations.

Locations:
Your organization may have different operating locations. For example, if you are a restaurant chain, you may have multiple locations across BC. During the audit planning stage, you must communicate with go2HR to help ensure all locations are correctly identified.

Sites:
For the purposes of COR audits, a “work site” will be defined as “any location where a worker is, or is likely to be, engaged in any occupation for their employer.” For example, a hotel may be listed as a company’s official location. Meanwhile, the restaurant across the street, at an entirely different address, is also thought to be part of the overall location. In this case, the auditor would need to cover both the hotel and restaurant, since the activities undertaken at each site are very different.

Seasons:
Some outdoor hospitality operations are seasonal in nature, such as those that relate to snow sports or golf. In these cases, seasonality must be taken into consideration, with the audit performed when the relevant activities are running at a minimum of 70% operating capacity. This helps ensure that the audit is representative of how the company operates during their “normal business” times. While it is recognized that this is often the least convenient time for an audit, it is an unavoidable requirement.