In 2014, we introduced a temporary pilot program to our members who held a Certificate of Recognition (COR) with our association. This briefly provided these companies with the option of maintaining their COR status, while not having a certified auditor on staff.
We have now reached the conclusion of one full three year COR cycle since this pilot launch, and have assessed the results of this initiative. We found there was not a great deal of member uptake on this option, and from those who did participate, the results and feedback were not largely positive. Companies have reported struggles in maintaining their Health & Safety Management Systems in the absence of a certified auditor on staff. In addition to the reported challenges in staying on top of updates and changes, we have also received reports from companies feeling the pinch from the additional costs involved in hiring auditors rather than using their own staff for maintenance years. As a result of these and similar findings, we have determined it is in the best interest of our members to discontinue this pilot program.
The health and safety of Albertans remains foremost in our thinking as we evaluate these systems as part of our Partnerships in Injury Reduction programming, and continue to believe we best protect our workers when we have well-trained resources available in each member company.
All companies participating in the COR program will again require a full time staff member to maintain auditor certification. We want to ensure our COR member companies continue to be aware of their requirements in maintaining certification, and that we continue to meet our Certifying Partner standards. We are here to help ensure success for us all. We realize there may be a period of time in which you may require our assistance in returning to pre-2014 standards, and together we will make this transition as seamless as possible.
Your ACSA website fully lists the COR requirements that your company will need to meet in order to maintain its COR. This specific auditor requirement means that you will need to have a full time member of staff certified as an auditor. This simply requires that person complete the three day Auditor Training Program (ATP) and conduct a self-qualification audit. This allows your company to participate in the COR Program and enables your auditor to perform your company’s internal audits—which maintains your COR and their Auditor Status.
We will continue to explore creative COR maintenance options—such as the recent launch of the Action Plan—which proved beneficial for many companies, and has become a permanent option. No matter where you are in your COR cycle, our friendly Client Services team is here to answer any of your inquiries, and rest assured we will work closely with you on a case by case basis to ensure we meet all of your important COR requirements. We’re here to help! Call or email us at 1.800.661.ACSA (2272) or at cor@youracsa.ca.
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