Certificate of Recognition audit program

Effect of certification on injury rates, 2005-2012

In brief

• Occupational health and safety interventions, including regulatory approaches, programs, and management systems, are key strategies for reducing worker injury and illness.
• We conducted an independent impact evaluation of WorkSafeBC’s Certificate of Recognition (COR) audit program to assess how participation has affected firms’ claim rates and health and safety experience. COR programs provide premium rebates to employers who meet certain occupational health and safety management benchmarks or who have implemented a return to work program for injured workers.
• The evaluation found that certification is associated with lower injury rates. However, the COR program appears to be identifying good performers, and participation may be associated with other factors that are driving the injury rate reduction.

Next steps

• We are currently evaluating the effect of the COR program in Alberta, with a grant from the Alberta Ministry of Labour OHS Futures Research Funding Program.
• We are currently assessing and developing the BC Construction Safety Alliance’s COR audit database, in preparation for a future investigation of the effect of the COR program on firm injury claim rates.

Watch an interview with Chris McLeod, filmed by the Journal of Commerce at the BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association Fall Conference 2015, on the results of the COR evaluation.

Watch a plain language video produced by the Institute for Work & Health explaining the main findings of the COR evaluation.

Related publications

Contact: Chris McLeod