Safety Update

Safety Update: Province Introducing Stricter Guidelines for Health and Safety Credentials of Companies

WCB rebates and ability to bid at risk for companies

Edmonton, AB - June 2, 2011 - Effective July 1, Alberta employers who experience on-site fatalities, serious injuries or multiple stop work orders may face an immediate review of their safety accreditation. 

Stricter guidelines for companies to keep their Certificate of Recognition (COR) will be put in place. Employers that are not COR holders do not receive annual Partnerships in Injury Reduction (PIR) rebates from the Workers’ Compensation Board - Alberta (WCB) and cannot bid on certain projects. 

“Losing a COR is bad for business,” said Thomas Lukaszuk, Minister of Employment and Immigration. “However, Albertans have the right to work in safe and healthy conditions. We’re putting employers on notice: after July 1, we’ll be launching reviews as soon after a workplace incident as possible.” 

Changes to the COR program include an employer review process if there is a fatality, serious injury or incident; if two or more stop work orders are issued within a 12 month period; or if ongoing OHS officer activity indicates possible health and safety issues. An employer would not be eligible for PIR rebates when its COR is under review. 

If a company has any of these incidents occur, it must develop an action plan focused on making improvements to the workplace. If a second incident happens within two years, the COR holder must conduct an external audit. Failure to develop a satisfactory action plan or pass the audit with a score of at least 80 per cent will result in the company having its COR cancelled. Furthermore, if a COR holder is charged under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the WCB will hold any refunds for that year, pending the outcome of the charges. 

In July 2010, Lukaszuk announced a 10-point plan for Occupational Health and Safety, one of which was to update the COR program. Seven of these 10 initiatives are now complete. 

For more information on COR certification, visit employment.alberta.ca/ohs-partnerships.

Backgrounder 

Additional information on the Certificate of Recognition (COR) program Recent changes to the COR program have been brought about as a result of ongoing reviews by stakeholders to strengthen the employer review process. These stakeholders included Certifying Partners, Partners in Health and Safety, prime contractors who hire COR holders and ministry officials. 

• The employer review process was originally initiated in 2000, and is now being enhanced. 
• A new approach is being taken that includes a wider range of incidents that can trigger a review, more comprehensive investigations, plus more serious consequences. 
• Only employers who have obtained their COR are eligible for Partnerships in Injury Reduction rebates from the Workers’ Compensation Board of between five and 20 per cent. 
• Although the program is voluntary, the COR has become a pre-bid qualification on many projects in the construction and petroleum industries. Many employers do not want to work with contractors who have not taken the steps to ensure safety on their worksite. 
• Over the past seven years, four companies have lost their COR certification due to failed audits ordered as a result of the employer review process. 

A list of COR certified companies has been created that catalogues every employer in Alberta that has achieved a COR. 

For a detailed list of Alberta employers and their records of workplace injuries and fatalities, visit employment.alberta.ca/employerrecords. 

For more information on COR, visit employment.alberta.ca/ohs-partnerships.

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