When a construction company achieves COR™ (Certificate of Recognition) certification, they become part of a nationwide network of elite organizations. At WellDone Inc., we have always operated with the belief COR™ is the highest standard for construction safety. With our COR™ certification firmly under our proverbial tool belts, we look back on the extensive auditing process that led us here and share some eye-opening facts about our certification completion.
1. You Need a Health and Safety-First Culture
To achieve COR™ certification, we had to undergo an audit process on a voluntary basis. The purpose of the audits is to demonstrate our commitment to health and safety, including a review of our Health and Safety Management System (HSMS). At WellDone, we luckily have always had a safety-first culture with an existing commitment to creating, maintaining, and constantly improving effective Occupational Health and Safety practices.
However, it was surprising to find that our commitment to safety actually made it more difficult because we had to adjust all the safety forms to accommodate our unique approach. This is because COR™ doesn’t exist solely for construction companies or the construction industry, but instead to improve work environments across all and any industry. As a result, making it work applies to not just your specific company but also your specific industry.
2. It Takes a Village…
In the beginning, our founder thought achieving COR™ certification sat primarily on his shoulders, and he alone would be responsible for the achievement. However, just a few months down the road, he realized that it was naïve thinking. There is an enormous amount of work that needs to be done with the evaluations and implementation of ongoing changes. He needed not only consultants and managers, but a Safety Coordinator dedicated to working on the program full-time. Our Coordinator continues to provide expertise as a full-time employee at WellDone Inc. today.
3. Every Team Member Needs a Safety-First Mentality
Another challenge was to convert the existing workers to “Safety-First Mentality” workers. While it is easy to train new team members to follow our COR™ safety policies and procedures as part of our extensive onboarding process, it is much more difficult to change the policies for the existing team members. Accountability is key to successful safety programs, with each team member sharing a responsibility to fulfill their individual obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
4. It Takes Commitment, Time, and Effort
It took longer than expected to achieve COR™ certification. It’s not just a matter of putting together an extensive HSMS manual but showing an ongoing commitment to improving our health and safety practices. Certification requires maintaining safety procedure records for at least the past two years and demonstrating you actually changed your approach. In fact, we were surprised to find how much time and effort it takes to constantly prove we did our very best and that all our workers are following the new rules/procedures, approach, etc.
Our COR™ certification is a testimony to our commitment to promoting a health-oriented and safe working environment for our employees. With an HSMS in place, we continue to foster transparent reporting while continuously implementing corrective procedures. Because we have adopted the necessary strategies, we can efficiently complete projects safely, on time, and on budget, passing on significant savings to our clients.
At WellDone Inc., our customers see the cost savings of our COR™ driven efficiencies. If you would like more information about our building improvement services for commercial and multi-unit residential buildings throughout the GTA., speak to our team.