Two Major Municipalities Now Require Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Vaughan and Ottawa on Board with IHSA’S Certificate of Recognition
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Two major municipalities now require Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Vaughan and Ottawa on board with IHSA’s Certificate of Recognition January 10, 2020 (TORONTO)—The Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) is pleased to announce that both the City of Vaughan and the City of Ottawa will now require contractors to be certified to a recognized Occupational Health and Safety Management system, which includes IHSA’s Certificate of Recognition (COR™) program. As of March 2020, construction contractors working with the City of Vaughan will need to have registered for CORTM from IHSA for the procurement process. In December 2019, Vaughan’s council endorsed the CORTM program as a component of the City’s bidding process for construction contracts. The City of Ottawa has also released a technical document to area contractors announcing the requirement of an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) as part of the procurement process and prior to awarding a contract. COR™ 2020 will be one of those accepted systems. This requirement was developed in consultation with a working group of members of regional construction associations. IHSA brought the COR™ program to Ontario in 2011 as a way to raise the standard of injury and illness prevention in the province. As of January 2020, more than 1,300 companies are registered, and more than 400 companies are certified across the province. In order to reflect the needs of both industry partners and new health and safety programs in Ontario, IHSA’s COR™ program has been enhanced in 2020. The new version, known as COR™ 2020, will also meet the requirements outlined in both the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development’s Supporting Ontario's Safe Employers Program as well as the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s Health and Safety Excellence Program. With more COR™ certified firms bidding for jobs and more buyers of construction services requesting COR™, the program continues to grow and become a standard for safety in the province. To learn more about COR™, visit the IHSA.ca website. Click here to read the City of Vaughan and the City of Ottawa announcements. For specific information on requiring COR™ from contractors at your organization or municipality, contact Ken Rayner at 1-800-263-5024 ext. 8464 About COR™ The Certificate of Recognition (COR™) is nationally trademarked and endorsed by participating members of the Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA) of which IHSA is a member. It provides employers with an effective tool to assess their health and safety management system. COR™ is aimed at driving positive workplace behaviour and practices that lead to improved performance. It is currently being used across Canada and is a pre-qualification requirement for many contractors working in and out of the province and on public- and private-sector projects. Make safety work for you. IHSA is your first step. The Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) is Ontario’s trusted health and safety resource. Our goal is to improve the lives of Ontario workers. We provide the resources and training that control and eliminate safety hazards in work environments involving high-risk activities. At IHSA we have always maintained a standard of excellence. We are proud of our role in helping to make Ontario one of the safest places in the world to work. Our focus is on workers and keeping our promise to provide them with the tools to Work Safe for Life. Visit ihsa.ca to learn more. .