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COR Audits

Your COR audit, by a certified external auditor for over 17 years.

We audit your safety management system against the actual ACSA or Energy Safety Canada protocol you will be scored under. Documentation review, interviews, worksite observations, scored report, prioritised corrective action list.

We only have a couple of spots available for the remainder of the year.

Take the COR readiness quiz
  • ACSA + ESC dual-certified audit team
  • 17 years on the ground across Canada
  • Initial, maintenance, recertification audits
  • Auditors available across nine provinces
An On-Track auditor reviewing safety documentation against worksite tasks in the background.

What it is

A COR audit verifies what your safety program actually does.

A COR (Certificate of Recognition) audit is a third-party verification that an employer's occupational health and safety management system meets the protocol of a recognised certifying partner. An external auditor reviews safety program documentation, interviews a sample of workers and supervisors, and observes work in progress at one or more sites. Each element is scored against the protocol. A passing score earns the company a COR certificate, which many public-sector prime contractors and major project owners across Canada require before awarding work.

On-Track is certified to deliver COR audits under two Canadian certifying partner protocols: ACSA (Alberta Construction Safety Association) for the Alberta construction sector, and Energy Safety Canada (ESC) for upstream oil and gas and multi-province cross-jurisdictional audits. Dual certification is uncommon in Canadian auditing.

Need the safety program built first?

COR Ready from $4,495. SECOR Ready $1,960 for the SECOR manual + $1,960 for us to prepare your SECOR submission. Plus GST. The manual, up to 20 formal hazard assessments for your own tasks, forms and the implementation checklist in one order.

See COR Ready and SECOR Ready

Not ready to book your audit yet?

The On-Track Compliance Portal helps you organise documentation, training records, and corrective actions in the months before an external auditor walks the site.

See the Compliance Portal

Your COR roadmap

Four steps to certificate. Standard across Canada.

COR is a national program run through provincial Workers' Compensation Boards and accredited certifying partners. Same four steps in every province, with provincial variation in the partners and the rebate.

  1. Choose a Certifying Partner and Register

    Register with a COR-approved certifying partner in your province. Each province has one or more partners organised by industry. Training requirements and turnaround times vary significantly between them.

    Get the free prep checklist

  2. Implement a Health and Safety Program

    Build a written safety program that meets your certifying partner's auditing criteria. ACSA requires at least three months of documentation before your initial audit, and a longer run scores more fully. Our COR Ready package builds the whole program in one order.

    See the COR Ready package

  3. Complete an External COR Audit

    This is what we do. We audit your safety management system against the protocol your certifying partner uses. Documentation review, worker and supervisor interviews, worksite observations, scored report.

  4. Maintain Your COR

    Your COR is valid for three years in most provinces. Annual maintenance audits keep your certification active and maintain WCB rebate eligibility. We can complete your maintenance audits each year.

    Take the readiness quiz

Industries we serve

We work where the work happens.

Six core industries. Same problem in each: a safety program that holds up when the inspector or a prime contractor asks to see it.

  • Construction

  • Oil and Gas

  • Trades and Services

  • Industrial and Manufacturing

  • Transportation

  • Mining and Resource

Plus office, retail, municipal, and commercial operations across Canada.

Province-by-province

COR programs vary by province.

WCB issuer, certifying partners, worker thresholds, scoring, and rebate mechanisms differ across Canada. Quick reference.

ProvinceWCB / IssuerMain certifying partnersWCB incentive
AlbertaWCB Alberta (PIR)AASP, ACSA, ESC, AMTA, AMHSA, plus 4 more10% refund in your first COR year, then 5% each year you keep it
British ColumbiaWorkSafeBCBCCSA, go2HR, BC Forest Safety Council, ESCUp to 10% base premium rebate
SaskatchewanSaskatchewan WCBSCSA, HCSAS, ESCWCB rebate (amount varies)
ManitobaSAFE Work ManitobaCSAM, MHCA WORKSAFELY15% rebate or $3,000 cap
OntarioWSIB OntarioIHSA (sole authority for COR)WSIB HSEp + SOSE incentives
New BrunswickWorkSafeNBNBCSAIncentive program varies
NL / NWT / NunavutWorkplaceNL / WSCCNLCSA, NSA-NTPRIME rebate (NL)

Free calculator

Does the WCB rebate pay for the audit?

Enter your province, certificate type, and annual WCB premium to see your estimated rebate and net benefit.

Your operation

$60,000
$5,000$500,000

Find your annual WCB premium on your WCB account statement or CRA T4 summary. Most small-to-mid contractors fall in the $20,000–$150,000 range.

Estimated annual benefit

Annual rebate

$3,000

5% (typical; up to 20% possible) - 5% for maintaining COR; higher tiers require claims performance below industry average

Annual audit cost

$2,333

$7,000 amortised over 3 years

Net annual benefit

$667

Audit pays for itself in 2.3 years

WCB Partnerships in Injury Reduction (PIR)

PIR pays the highest of three measures, capped at 20%: 5% for simply maintaining COR (10% in your first certified year), up to 20% for improving your safety performance, or up to 20% for claim costs well below your industry average. There is no separate SECOR rate - SECOR is a COR, and earns the same structure. Registration in PIR is required and is separate from certification.

These are estimates only. WCB rebate rates and qualifying conditions vary and change. The actual rebate depends on your experience rating, your industry rate group, your certification status at fiscal year-end, and applicable WCB rules in your province. Verify current rates with your provincial WCB before making financial decisions. Audit costs are typical ranges - your actual cost depends on operation size, scope, and certifying partner.

About COR audits

Two protocols, one team

ACSA, ESC, and which one fits.

The right certifying partner depends on industry, where the work is performed, and which platform the company is registered with. Most operators already know. If the project team is unsure, we will tell you which one to pursue before the audit is scheduled.

ACSA - Alberta Construction Safety Association

ACSA

Alberta Construction Safety Association

The certifying partner for the Alberta construction sector under the provincial OHS Code. Audits the construction industry against ACSA-specific scoring and evidence expectations. Most Alberta general contractors, sub-trades, and civil operators audit under ACSA.

  • Alberta-specific OHS Code references
  • Construction sector scoring weights
  • Three-year cycle, mix of internal + external
Energy Safety Canada

ESC

Energy Safety Canada

The certifying partner for the upstream oil and gas sector. ESC accepts multi-province cross-jurisdictional audits, which is the right choice for operators working across multiple Western Canadian provinces under a single safety program.

  • Upstream oil and gas sector scope
  • Multi-province cross-jurisdictional audits
  • Three-year cycle, ESC-specific evidence rules
Not sure if you need COR or SECOR?

How an audit unfolds

What an audit actually looks like.

Every operation is different, and so is every audit. The sequence below is what we walk you through regardless of size, partner, or province.

  1. 1. Documentation review

    We work through the safety program against the certifying partner protocol. Policies, hazard assessments, training records, incident logs, JHSC minutes. We score what is there and flag what is not.

  2. 2. Interviews

    A representative sample of workers and supervisors, interviewed using the protocol question set. Whether the program lives in binders or in the crew is visible inside the first three interviews.

  3. 3. Site observations

    Work in progress at one or more sites. We watch the actual work, FLHA practice, PPE use, supervision, and emergency readiness. The gap between manual and reality is scored here.

  4. 4. Report + debrief

    After on-site wraps, the team gets the scored report, a verbal debrief, and a prioritised corrective action list ready for submission to the certifying partner.

Before the formal audit

GAP audits. A pre-audit health check.

A GAP audit is a pre-audit health check that identifies deficiencies in your safety program before the formal external COR audit. Same protocol, same evidence review, same on-site observations - without the scored submission to the certifying partner.

Useful when you are maintaining your COR certification, when you operate multiple branches across provinces and want consistent implementation, or when leadership wants visibility on the program before the formal audit window opens.

  • Tailored to your operation and certification goals

    Scoped to the certifying partner protocol you audit under. ACSA, ESC, or any equivalent provincial partner.

  • No impact on your official audit timeline

    GAP audits are independent of your formal certification audit cycle. Findings are for your internal action only.

  • Identifies systemic deficiencies across branches

    Multi-branch operators see consistency issues that show up only when one auditor walks every site.

COR Audit Monitoring Program

Never miss a renewal window.

Most operators discover the certified-auditor shortage in the weeks before their COR expiry. We have run a free monitoring service since the program was created: give us your renewal date and certifying partner; we reach out roughly six months before so you can book without scrambling.

  • Free service. No charge, no obligation, cancel anytime.
  • Open to operators on any certifying partner across Canada. Not exclusive to On-Track audit clients.
  • We reach out roughly six months before expiry to start the booking conversation.

We will contact you roughly six months before this date.

No charge. No obligation. Cancel anytime.

What clients say

Audits that hold up.

“Honest scoring, clear corrective actions, no surprises. We knew where we stood before the auditor left site. The report landed when it was promised. We passed and moved on.”
Operations ManagerIndustrial Construction, Alberta
“An auditor who actually reads our manual, walks our sites, and points out the gap between the two. That is the audit we needed. We have used the same team three cycles running.”
HSE LeadOil and Gas, Alberta
“We had been told our previous external audit was a rubber-stamp. On-Track flagged things our internal team had missed. Hard to hear in the moment, easy to fix once we knew. Better audit, better program.”
Safety CoordinatorCivil Construction, Saskatchewan

Frequently asked

What people actually ask.

What is a COR audit?
A COR (Certificate of Recognition) audit is a third-party verification that an employer's occupational health and safety management system meets the protocol of a recognised certifying partner. The audit reviews documentation, interviews workers and supervisors, and inspects worksite practices. A passing score earns the company a COR certificate, which is required by many public-sector prime contractors and major project owners across Canada.
What is the difference between an ACSA COR audit and an ESC COR audit?
ACSA (Alberta Construction Safety Association) audits the Alberta construction sector under the provincial OHS Code. Energy Safety Canada (ESC) audits the upstream oil and gas sector and accepts multi-province cross-jurisdictional audits. They use different protocols, different scoring weights, and different evidence expectations. Picking the right one is determined by industry, where the work is performed, and which certifying partner the company is registered with. On-Track is certified by both.
How long does a COR audit take?
Audit duration depends on the size of the operation, the certifying partner, the number of sites, and the type of audit (initial certification, maintenance, or recertification). The on-site portion typically covers documentation review, worker and supervisor interviews, and worksite observations. After on-site wraps, the team produces the scored audit report, a verbal debrief, and a prioritised corrective action list ready for submission to the certifying partner.
What happens during the on-site audit?
An external auditor reviews the company's safety program documentation against the certifying partner's protocol, interviews a sample of workers and supervisors using the protocol's question set, and observes work in progress at one or more sites. Each element is scored against documented criteria. The auditor flags gaps in real time so the company knows where to expect corrective actions before the report is finalised.
How often do we need a COR audit?
The COR certificate runs on a three-year cycle. After the initial certification audit, the next two years are maintenance audits (smaller scope, internal or external depending on the certifying partner's rules). Year three is the full recertification external audit. Some certifying partners allow internal maintenance audits in years two and three and require external every third year. The exact cycle depends on which certifying partner the company is registered with.
Why are you booking so far in advance?
Our senior auditor books about a year ahead because the audit cycle is predictable: companies know months in advance when their next audit is due, and the on-site window is fixed by the certifying partner. We only have a couple of spots available for the remainder of the year. Our second auditor (ESC-certified; ACSA certification expected mid-year) has open ESC capacity. If the project timing is genuinely flexible, we can usually find a slot. If it is not, plan early.
What does an external COR audit cost?
Pricing is quoted based on operation size, scope (single province versus multi-province), on-site days, travel, certifying partner, and audit type (initial, maintenance, or recertification). Contact us for a quote against your specific scope.
What is a GAP audit and how is it different from a COR audit?
A GAP audit is a pre-audit health check that identifies deficiencies in your safety program BEFORE a formal external COR audit. It uses the same certifying partner protocol but without the official scoring or submission. GAP audits are useful for companies maintaining their COR/SECOR certification or operating multiple branches across provinces who want to identify potential issues without impacting their official audit timeline. A formal COR audit, by contrast, produces the scored report submitted to the certifying partner for certificate issuance.
What is the COR Audit Monitoring Program?
A free service On-Track offers to operators with an existing COR certificate. You give us your COR expiry date and certifying partner; we contact you well in advance of the renewal window so you can book an external auditor without scrambling. Many companies struggle to find a qualified auditor close to their expiry date - this program means you do not have to.
What if we fail the audit?
Failing a COR audit means scoring below the certifying partner's pass threshold (typically 80% overall and 50% per element; Ontario requires 65% per element under the COR 2020 standard). On an initial certification audit, the certificate is not issued and a re-audit follows once gaps are addressed, typically within six months. On a maintenance audit, existing certification stays in place mid-cycle while corrective actions are addressed. On a recertification audit, the existing certificate may lapse if the re-audit cannot be completed before the expiry date. We coordinate the re-audit through the same certifying partner.
What WCB rebates does COR unlock?
WCB rebates vary by province. In Alberta, the Partnerships in Injury Reduction (PIR) program refunds 10% of your industry-rate premium in the first year you earn COR, then 5% for each year you maintain it (combined PIR incentives can reach up to 20%). British Columbia offers up to 10% base premium rebate through WorkSafeBC. Saskatchewan WCB offers a rebate that varies by industry rate. Manitoba offers 15% rebate or up to a $3,000 cap (capped at 50% of premiums). Ontario uses WSIB Health and Safety Excellence Program (HSEp) and SOSE incentives instead of automatic rebates. New Brunswick and Newfoundland each have their own incentive programs. We can help you understand which apply to your operation.
Do you audit outside Western Canada?
Yes. We audit across Canada under ACSA (Alberta construction sector) and Energy Safety Canada (oil and gas, multi-province cross-jurisdictional). For provinces without ACSA or ESC coverage, we coordinate with the equivalent provincial certifying partner. Travel time and lodging outside Alberta are billed at cost. Quebec is not supported - we do not provide French-language audits.

Not booking an audit yet?

The Compliance Portal helps you get audit-ready.

Most operators arrive at audit week without the documentation organised. The On-Track Compliance Portal is the workspace that gets your safety program audit-ready in the months before an external auditor walks the site - so when you do book, the paper trail holds up.

One login for your safety manual, worker certificates, training records, audit-prep workspace, and the recurring compliance tasks that keep the program current between audits.

See the Compliance PortalTake the COR readiness quiz

  • Audit-prep Workspace

    ACSA, ESC, and every other Canadian certifying partner's element codes pre-loaded. One-click export to your auditor when the audit week opens.

  • Document Vault

    Your safety manual, JHSC minutes, training records, hazard assessments, and posted notices in one workspace. Indexed and dated.

  • Compliance Scheduler

    JHSC meetings, fire drills, training renewals, posting cycles, insurance expiries. Email alerts before anything lapses.

  • Cross-framework Evidence Map

    One document satisfies multiple frameworks. A workplace violence policy can serve OHSA, an IHSA element, and a WSIB HSEp topic from one upload.

What the auditor will check

Worker certificates, tracked to the day.

Every Working at Heights, First Aid, WHMIS, H2S Alive, and forklift ticket on the worksite needs a paper trail an auditor can follow. The Compliance Members Portal Worker Cert Tracker auto-alerts at 90, 60, 30, and 14 days. No more renewals slipping past the audit window.

Worker Cert Tracker - your roster, your renewal calendar

90, 60, 30, and 14-day expiry alerts. Sample roster shown.

  • 1 critical
  • 1 renew soon
  • 2 schedule
  • 0days

    S. Tremblay - Roofing Lead

    Working at Heights

  • 0days

    J. Khalil - Site Foreman

    First Aid Level 1

  • 0days

    M. Okonkwo - Welder

    WHMIS 2018

  • 0days

    R. Singh - Equipment Op

    Forklift

  • 0days

    K. Beaupre - Pipeline Crew

    H2S Alive

  • 0days

    A. Hernandez - Excavator Op

    Ground Disturbance 201

Cert tracking with 90, 60, 30, and 14-day alerts is included from the Foundation tier. OCR-extracted certificate data, worker self-service, and the audit-prep workspace map are unlocked at Compliance tier and above.

Limited remaining-year availability

A couple of spots left. Plan early.

Tell us the certifying partner, the audit cycle stage, and a rough window. We will tell you what is available and what the paper trail looks like before the audit week opens.

Talk to a safety advisor