COR & SECOR Safety Audits & Certification
We are dedicated to guiding you through the COR and SECOR audit and certification process, empowering your company with the tools and knowledge needed to excel in safety compliance.
Protecting Your Workforce and Your Business
Ensure Safety Excellence with COR & SECOR Safety Audits
Auditing of health and safety programs is a requirement of many voluntary safety oversight programs. Audits provide a consistent evaluation of your company’s safety performance, and highlights strengths and opportunities for improvement in your company’s system. Your Pencor consultant is trained to meet your auditing needs at any stage of the process and provide meaningful and realistic suggestions for cost effective and efficient implementation.
Pre-Audit
Conducting a pre-audit helps to verify that required documentation is compiled and available for your upcoming audit. A pre-audit may expose compliance or conformance issues prior to the formal (official) audit process. Whether the deficiency stems from process gaps or incomplete employee follow-through, these concerns can be exposed to allow for correction before your official audit.
Post-Audit
Occasionally, business owners are left feeling frustrated following a review of their auditor’s findings. There are several reasons for this, including possible misinterpretation of COR standards. If you are concerned that the auditor’s final report does not provide an accurate reflection of your system, Pencor is available to offer a second opinion. We will review and evaluate auditor findings to help employers understand the reasons for those findings. In the instance of an unjust or inaccurate finding, we can assist in the correction of those findings.
The intent of an audit is to ensure that your health and safety program is meeting legislative standards, audit protocol, and whether your company is following its own safety program as outlined. Although auditors may (must) offer suggestions based on their findings, the findings themselves must be objective and unbiased.
Consultant Audits
Certification audits for ACSA and ESC are conducted by auditors who are EXTERNAL to the company being audited. With an ESC COR, that audit must be performed by an approved Consultant Auditor. With an ACSA COR a peer auditor may be used. The PEER audit process is a cost-effective means of maintaining COR accreditation, but it can be time consuming.
The ACSA peer auditor process allows a certified auditor from your organization to conduct your internal audit (or action plan audit) for a maximum of 2 years before bringing in an external auditor for a re-certification audit. Under the peer process, this external auditor is provided free of charge. However, it is expected that your in-house auditor provide the same service for another organization in return.
Audits are required to be conducted at or near your organization’s peak season, something that can be difficult to accomplish given the demands on time and personnel. This process can remove your auditor (often someone in a key role in your company) from their routine duties within the organization and put unnecessary pressure on your safety department and revenue-generation. Talk to us to see how we can relieve the stress associated with the peer auditor process.
Maintenance (Internal) Audit
At times, your organization may need your certified auditors to remain focused on their routine tasks and conducting a maintenance audit at these times can place unrealistic burdens on those personnel. A Pencor auditor can conduct the maintenance audit leaving your company auditor focused on their priority responsibilities. Alternatively, conducting this audit as a team audit, can alleviate some of the burden, while still allowing the internal auditor(s) to maintain their own auditor accreditation.
Certification (External) Audit
Certification audits must be conducted by an auditor external to your company. Your certified Pencor auditor can conduct this audit and provide valuable insight into your systems and processes. With our wide experience, these insights can often lead to savings in time and effort in the ongoing maintenance of your health and safety management system.
External Peer Audit
Your company’s peer auditing responsibilities (the reciprocating audit you owe) may also be relieved by a Pencor certified auditor. On your company’s behalf, Pencor can provide a thorough audit of an outside organization’s health and safety program.
Opt Out
Opting out of the peer audit process is increasingly common, and means that your company does not have to provide an auditor to an external organization. Your organization may still retain their COR certification, provided a full-time employee (or owner) maintains auditor certification. This involves conducting at least one audit annually and taking the auditor recertification course (1 day) every 3 years.
Call your Pencor consultant today to discuss whether this is the right decision for your business, as circumstances vary. An accurate appraisal of your situation is important in making this decision for your company.
Contact Us Now
Contact us to get more information on our safety consulting, training and auditing services or to setup an appointment.
Why Choose Pencor Safety Consulting
Your first choice for health & safety consulting excellence
Pencor Safety Consulting takes pride in its comprehensive support throughout the design, implementation, and continual evaluation of diverse organizational health and safety programs.
Expertise
Using our expertise in health and safety management, we identify improvements and guide organizations to certification.
Comprehensive Support
We can conduct pre-audits, identify gaps, and provide improvement recommendations to demonstrate safety commitment.
Proven Track Record
Our track record demonstrates commitment to delivering safety excellence and meeting stringent requirements.
Tailored Solutions
We deliver customized solutions aligned with your goals, collaborating closely to address your specific requirements.
We provide safety consulting, auditing, program building along with ISN and ComplyWorks compliance services throughout Alberta.
Building a Safety Culture
COR & SECOR Safety Audits FAQs
COR and SECOR certifications demonstrate an organization's dedication to maintaining high safety standards. It is often a requirement for bidding on certain contracts, providing a competitive edge, and promoting a safety-first culture within the company.
The purpose of obtaining COR (Certificate of Recognition) or SECOR (Small Employer Certificate of Recognition) certification is to demonstrate a commitment to workplace health and safety excellence
We do COR & SECOR safety audits in Edmonton, Calgary and across Alberta.
A safety program helps prevent accidents and incidents in the workplace by proactively identifying and mitigating potential hazards, providing proper training and equipment to employees, promoting safe work practices, and encouraging a culture of safety awareness and responsibility.
The frequency of COR and SECOR audits depends on the certifying authority's requirements. Generally, initial certification audits are conducted every three years, and maintenance audits are conducted annually to ensure ongoing compliance.
About Us
Pencor Safety Consulting provides comprehensive safety consulting, auditing, and safety program development along with ISN and ComplyWorks compliance across Alberta.