Working Your COR

Training in the Time of COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic has created chaos everywhere. One thing that is not chaotic is getting your internal auditor training for the Certificate of Recognition (COR) program. You can still expect SafetyDriven’s high standard of training through internal auditor certification and other courses.

The COR Program

The COR program recognizes and rewards BC employers for developing, implementing, and maintaining a sustainable occupational health and safety (OHS) management system that meets or exceeds requirements. As Earl Galavan, SafetyDriven’s COR Manager, explains, SafetyDriven manages COR on behalf of WorkSafeBC, the body that issues the certification. It’s a voluntary program with benefits beyond its goal of improving safety practices, reducing injuries and fatalities, and preventing loss and stoppage. On becoming COR-certified, the company acknowledges its requirement to meet the policies and standards of both SafetyDriven and WorkSafeBC.

COR-certified companies have healthier and safer workplaces, are qualified to tender for contracts that require the certification, and are eligible for WorkSafeBC premium rebates. It’s win-win for drivers, workers, companies, and the industry. Building a safety program may be a company’s most important step to ensure that staff members know they are valued; it is, as Galavan says, “a way for an employer to make a concrete statement that their employees matter.”

Becoming an Internal Auditor

“Safety is another element to manage within a company,” according to Galavan. A good program delivers the message “it’s not that I’m doing safety to you—I need you to practise safety with me.” It’s important how your company—or you as an owner-operator—takes on management systems, including OHS. While a company can opt for an external audit, they can develop their own personnel as auditors, ensuring ongoing safety management and an auditor familiar with company procedures and staff. It begins by recommending staff for training with SafetyDriven.

The criteria for becoming an internal auditor are being employed by the company and taking 14 hours of WorkSafe-mandated training. The training includes a final exam and conducting a live audit using the Trucking Safety Council of BC COR audit tool, for either a large employer (20+ employees) or a small employer (fewer than 20 employees).

An audit is a formal inspection. Conducting it means exercising judgment, evaluating and questioning the system, and investigating the answers to ensure safety rules have been implemented. The inspection includes documentation and what drives the safety process, how safety is practised, and proof of accomplishment. Post-audit, it’s about ensuring repairs have been made, training has been conducted, and staff has adopted safety practices, not just memorized the rules.

The COVID pandemic was the catalyst for SafetyDriven offering internal auditor training virtually. While in-class training may be an option (it’s currently on hold), the success of the transition to virtual education means the courses will continue to be offered online, offering greater access to BC learners located at a distance. Sessions are delivered via Zoom meeting and remain engaging, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions and discuss topics. Check out COR program details and registration and remember that SafetyDriven offers free resources online.