WCB-Alberta forecasts approximately $106.5 million in PIR refunds for 2025. As of May 1, 2026, 3,836 employers certified through ACSA had received approximately $38.2 million in 2025 Partnerships in Injury Reduction (PIR) refunds.1
That is the easiest return to count.
The more durable value sits behind the certificate: a health and safety management system evaluated against provincial standards, a regular cycle of review and improvement and access to work where safety certification is required.
ACSA heard the same message during its COR/SECOR Modernization engagement.2 Employers identified bidding requirements, safety and injury prevention and financial benefits as leading reasons for obtaining and maintaining certification.
The refund matters. But it is only one part of what a Certificate of Recognition (COR) or Small Employer Certificate of Recognition (SECOR) can return.
A system built for continual improvement
COR and SECOR recognize health and safety management systems that have been evaluated against established standards. The value is not simply reaching that standard once. Certification creates regular points to review how the system is working and where it needs attention.
A health and safety management system provides structured processes for identifying and controlling hazards, developing worker competency, inspecting work sites, preparing for emergencies, investigating incidents and managing the system itself.
That review cycle matters. During ACSA’s COR Modernization engagement, stakeholders described COR and SECOR as supporting safety culture, accountability and continuous improvement.
COR3 is typically valid for three years when annual maintenance requirements are met. Employers complete an external certification or recertification audit and complete maintenance requirements in the intervening years through an internal audit or, when eligible, an approved Action Plan.
SECOR4 applies the same principle at a scale designed for smaller employers. It is available to employers with no more than 10 employees. Employers complete a SECOR evaluation of their health and safety management system and maintenance requirements apply during the certification cycle.
The goal is not simply to maintain a certificate. It is to use regular review, findings and corrective action to keep improving the system behind it.
Certification can support access to work
For many construction employers, certification also has direct business value.
In ACSA’s COR Modernization survey, 72 per cent of respondents identified increased bidding opportunities as an impact of COR. For SECOR, 43 per cent identified increased bidding opportunities.
That business value is reflected in procurement requirements across Alberta. Safety certification is required for many construction opportunities.
Alberta Infrastructure5, for example, requires a valid COR or Temporary Letter of Certification for most construction tenders. Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors6 requires COR, a valid Temporary Letter of Certification or another specified equivalent for certain highway, bridge, water management, maintenance and high-hazard consulting work.
For employers working outside Alberta, COR may also support access to work through the Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations7 (CFCSA) reciprocity process. Eligible COR-certified employers can request reciprocity in another participating jurisdiction, subject to that jurisdiction’s requirements.
COR does not automatically transfer from Alberta. Each participating provincial or territorial association remains the authority responsible for granting COR in its jurisdiction.
Requirements vary by project, owner, jurisdiction and certification type. SECOR does not satisfy every procurement requirement, so employers should confirm the requirements of the work they plan to pursue. Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors, for example, explicitly does not accept SECOR for the specified procurements on its bidder-information page.
Certification does not guarantee a contract. It can, however, help an employer meet a safety prequalification required to compete for certain work.
ACSA’s COR and SECOR Modernization work8 is examining how both programs can remain effective, relevant and adaptable to industry and member needs. The Phase 1 findings on bidding, access to work and other program impacts form part of the evidence informing that work.
How WCB-Alberta PIR refunds are calculated
Financial returns are another part of the picture.
PIR9 is a voluntary Workers’ Compensation Board – Alberta (WCB-Alberta) program designed to encourage injury prevention and effective workplace health, safety and return-to-work practices.
WCB-Alberta uses three performance measures and applies the one that produces the highest eligible refund.
Achieving or maintaining certification. A first-time COR can qualify an employer for a 10 per cent industry rate refund. Employers can receive a five per cent refund in subsequent years when they maintain their certification.
Improving claim-cost performance. WCB-Alberta compares an employer’s current claim-cost performance with its historical performance. An employer can receive a one per cent industry rate refund for every one per cent of improvement, up to 20 per cent.
Maintaining industry leadership. WCB-Alberta compares an employer’s performance with its industry average. Employers performing significantly better than that average over two consecutive years can qualify for a refund of 10 to 20 per cent.
The measures do not stack. WCB-Alberta applies the measure that produces the highest eligible refund.
The five per cent maintenance refund is therefore not necessarily the maximum financial return available through PIR.
But the refund is a financial measure—not the safety objective.
Claim-cost performance reflects more than whether an injury occurred. Prevention, injury management and return-to-work practices can all affect an employer’s experience and claim costs. A PIR refund should not be treated as proof that certification caused a particular safety outcome.
The broader objective is preventing workplace injury and illness and continually improving how health and safety is managed. When that work is effective, employers are also better positioned to reduce lost time, claim costs and disruption to their operations.
ACSA can help
ACSA is Alberta’s largest certifying partner and is focused on Alberta’s construction industry.
Members can access guidance through COR and SECOR certification and maintenance, ACSA-certified consultant auditors, the Peer Auditor Program for eligible COR employers and MyAudit10 for COR audit management.
Members can also book one-on-one time with an ACSA safety advisor through MySupport.11 Advisors can help employers build or strengthen a health and safety management system, prepare for COR or SECOR requirements, work through audit methodology and Action Plans, review injury data and address day-to-day health and safety questions.
MySupport is included with ACSA membership.
Ready to see what certification can return?
The $38.2 million ACSA-certified employers received through PIR in 2025 is significant. It is also only the most visible return.
The longer-term value is the system behind the certificate: regular review and improvement of health and safety practices, the ability to meet certification requirements attached to some work and the opportunity for stronger claim-cost performance to generate a larger PIR refund.
If you are considering COR or SECOR, ACSA can help you understand the certification process, maintenance requirements and available audit or evaluation options.
Learn more about COR and SECOR.
Sources
1. ACSA 2025 Annual Report, p. 21 — View report
2. ACSA COR Modernization Phase 1 Summary Report, pp. 3, 8 — View report
3. ACSA COR Process — View webpage
4. ACSA SECOR Process — View webpage
5. Government of Alberta, Alberta Infrastructure – Vendor Opportunities — View webpage
6. Government of Alberta, Transportation and Economic Corridors – Transportation Construction: Information for New Bidders — View webpage
7. Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA) — View webpage
8. ACSA COR Modernization Project — View webpage
9. WCB-Alberta, Partnerships in Injury Reduction (PIR) — View webpage
10. ACSA MyAudit — View webpage
11. ACSA MySupport — View webpage
12. ACSA COR & SECOR — View webpage
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