The Benefits of Compliance

by admin, on Dec 7, 2017 5:00:00 PM

Did you know that the province of Alberta‘s Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) has rebate programs to recognize and commend strong safety performance?

In Alberta alone, over 9000 Certificate of Recognition (COR) delegates will be sharing over $89 million in Partnerships in Injury Reduction (PIR) refunds. These companies continually exemplify their unwavering commitment to creating and fostering a culture of safety in the workplace. They constantly invest in safety programs and construct return-to-work programs for employees who have been injured. With a minor initial investment, employers can earn up to a 20% reduction in their WCB industry premium through the COR and PIR programs.  

How can you as an employer leverage the safety benefits?

As an employer, you will be eligible for the rebate that yields a larger return. As a COR delegate, you will instantly receive a 5% rebate on premiums, 10% in the first year and an additional 5% in the following years to a maximum of 20% within a 2-year window, provided all of the standards are met. The PIR program rewards safety performance improvement. Employers will receive a 1% refund for every 1% improvement in safety performance to a maximum of 20%. The COR and PIR programs collectively can provide a total refund of up to 20% of the employers WCB premium. The following table offers some perspective on the potential savings the COR and PIR programs can offer you based on sample industries. To find your own industry premium, contact WCB or visit Industry Premiums. 

 

Safety Benefits

  • Obtain a PIR

PIR is a voluntary partnership composed of safety associations, Alberta Human Services, WCB Alberta and enrolled employers. The program creates, promotes and leverages the support of associations and employers to have safer workplaces as well as return-to-work programs for injured employees.  To be eligible you must obtain a COR through provincial satisfaction of your Health and Safety Management System and compliance to all relevant legislation. PIR rebate eligibility is up to 20% based on your company safety statistics against the industry averages.

  • Obtain a COR Certification

The COR certification originated in Alberta more than 20 years ago and is used as an effective benchmark for employers to evaluate their Health and Safety Management System. The intention is to execute positive workplace behaviours and in turn, improve safety performance. COR is used as a prequalification standard for public and private projects across many business sectors, especially industrial. With a COR certification comes audit requirements. There is an initial external audit followed by an internal audit annually and an external every 3 years after. Internal audits do not need to be submitted on the years that an external audit is performed. To maintain your eligibility, you must score a minimum of 50% on each audit component and equal to an overall score of 80% or above. The average COR rebate within Alberta last year was $9000.

How can we help you achieve a COR certification?

We have a staff of safety professionals including Canadian Safety Professionals (CRSP) and National Construction Safety Officer (NCSO) with years of experience in both corporate and industrial settings. If you are confident in your current Organizational Health & Safety (OHS) Program, our certified External COR Auditors can conduct the audit itself. If you aren’t sure whether your company is ready for a COR Audit, our safety professionals will walk you through the process of preparing for your audit. This may entail some or all of the following services:

  • OHS Program Development/Modification: We know what COR Auditors are looking for. Our safety experts will analyze your current OHS Program to identify gaps and make recommendations for changes.
  • Employee training: COR recognition requires that your employees be trained in appropriate safety courses. We provide an extensive suite of courses to fit your employee needs. Our Training Centre with a simulated industrial environment can be customized to fit your needs. Located outside of Calgary? We will send an instructor to you.

  • Learning Management System (LMS) Development: Before training your employees, you should be sure you have a system to keep your training records. Our IT experts can set up a centralized and easily accessible database for these records if needed. We will train your employees in how to manage the user-friendly and efficient LMS, or we can manage it for you.

  • Preparing for the COR Audit: Once you are confident in your OHS Program, you need to ensure that your staff understands it and is on board. Your COR Auditor will want to interview up to 25% of your employees and visit most of your field locations. Our safety experts can now come in and verify that the OHS Program has been properly dispersed and accepted by your staff.  We know the questions that a COR Auditor will ask, and this is the final step in identifying loopholes in your OHS Program.

  • Arranging an Auditor: If you’ve used our expertise in building your OHS Program, we can no longer conduct your External Audit. However, we can leverage an extensive network of contacts in the safety industry to get you the best price, saving you valuable time and money.

The list above is by no means exhaustive. Irwin’s Safety prides itself on offering full-cycle safety services, and is here to help you achieve your COR certificate. Contact us today to set up a meeting with one of our safety professionals and to get started on building a plan to get your company certified and to help you take advantage of the great rebates.

For more information visit Work Alberta, ACSA, IHSA, or WCB

Topics:trainingsafetyturnarounds

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