When to book it
As early as you can. The sooner gaps are found, the more time you have to correct them, involve your workers and build the records that show your system is actually being used.
COR Readiness Review
A COR Readiness Review shows you where your health and safety management system stands before you commit to a COR or SECOR audit. We review your documents and records, talk with a representative group of your people and look at the work itself, then give you a written report with clear priorities.
Every review is led by John Duplessis, B.Sc., CRSP, a Canadian Registered Safety Professional, certified COR auditor and Energy Safety Canada external auditor.
Who it’s for
Any Employer Preparing for COR or SECOR
Whether you’re just starting out or getting close to your audit date, a readiness review shows you what’s working, what’s missing and what to fix first.
Why timing matters
A last-minute document check can’t replace implementation. Training, inspections, corrective actions, emergency drills and worker participation all take time to put in place and to show in your records.
Practical point: A current safety manual is important, but a manual on its own doesn’t show an auditor that your health and safety management system is working day to day.
COR and SECOR are run by government and certifying partners in each province, including Alberta’s Certificate of Recognition program, WorkSafeBC’s COR program and Energy Safety Canada’s COR and SECOR programs. Your review is built around the standard your certifying partner uses.
What we assess
What a COR Readiness Review Assesses
We review the safety materials and records that matter for your operations and your certification goal. Most of it is shared and reviewed digitally, which keeps the review organized, traceable and efficient.
- Health and safety policies, responsibilities and program documents
- Hazard assessments, controls, safe work practices and procedures
- Training requirements, competency records and orientations
- Inspection records and proof that corrective actions were closed
- Emergency response plans, drills and worker awareness
- Incident and near-miss investigations and their follow-up
- Worker participation, committees or representatives and meeting records
- Previous audits, gap assessments, OHS orders and their corrective actions
How the review works
Three Kinds of Evidence, Scaled for Readiness
Free 30-minute consultation
We confirm your certifying partner, your workforce, your locations and your timeline, then set your scope and price in writing.
Documentation review
We assess your safety materials and records against your program and the audit expectations that apply to you. Digital records are preferred wherever practical.
Representative interviews
We interview a smaller sample of workers and supervisors than a certification audit would, while still checking their awareness against the kinds of questions an auditor asks.
Workplace observations
Representative observations show whether your documented requirements are visible in daily work. The number of locations and observations is confirmed in your scope.
Your readiness report
You receive a written report that shows what’s working, what needs attention and the order to tackle it before your external audit.
Please note: A COR Readiness Review is a preparation and gap-assessment service. It isn’t a certification audit and doesn’t replace the external audit required by your certifying partner.
What you receive
A Full Report With Practical Priorities
The report is written so management can see what’s working, what needs attention and what should be in place before certification.
Existing strengths
The parts of your program that are in place, working and backed by records.
Regulatory and audit gaps
Requirements or expected elements that are missing, incomplete or not yet in use.
Immediate compliance concerns
Issues that need prompt attention because they may put workers or your organization at greater risk.
Missing or outdated documents
Policies, procedures, forms and records that should be created, revised or put into use.
Implementation priorities
A recommended order of work based on risk, urgency and readiness.
Next steps before certification
The actions and records to complete before you schedule your external audit.
Sample report
See How Your Findings Can Be Organized
This fictional example shows the kind of structure you can expect. It isn’t a client report, an audit score or a promise of certification.
Sample format only
Executive summary
Overall readinessMajor implementation work needed before an external audit.
Existing strengthsManagement support and current hazard assessments for primary tasks.
Immediate concernsEmergency drill records and the training matrix need attention.
Recommended decisionClose high-priority gaps and build records before scheduling certification.
Gap analysis
| Area reviewed | What we found | Assessment | Priority | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency response | Plan available; drill records missing | Implementation gap | High | Complete site-specific drills and keep attendance, observations and follow-up records. |
| Training | Required courses identified; matrix incomplete | Records gap | High | Complete the training matrix and verify required competencies and expiry dates. |
| Inspections | Monthly forms available; corrective actions not always closed | Follow-up gap | Medium | Assign owners and dates, then record verification when each action is done. |
| Hazard assessment | Formal assessments current for primary work | Strength | Maintain | Review when work changes and keep documenting worker participation. |
Corrective-action priority list
0 to 30 days
Address immediate compliance concerns, assign responsibilities and correct missing critical records.
31 to 60 days
Complete training, drills and corrective actions while building records that show they’re in use.
61 to 90 days
Verify completion, run an internal check and decide whether you’re ready to schedule your external audit.
Implementation schedule
| Phase | Your action | How you’ll show it’s done |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate | Assign a responsible person and due date for every high-priority finding. | Approved corrective-action register. |
| Build | Complete revisions, training, worker communication and workplace follow-up. | Current documents, attendance, competency and inspection records. |
| Verify | Confirm actions are working and records can be found quickly. | Management review and internal verification records. |
| Prepare | Select your certifying partner and independent external auditor. | Confirmed audit arrangements and a ready records package. |
Choose the right review
Gap Review, Readiness Review or Mock Audit?
All three help you prepare for COR or SECOR. The difference is how deeply we look at whether your program is being used.
COR Gap Review
A remote review of your documents against your certifying partner’s audit standard. Best when you’re starting out and need to know what’s missing.
View the COR Gap ReviewCOR Readiness Review
Your documents and records, plus representative interviews and workplace observations. Best when your program is in place and you want to know if it’s working well enough to audit.
Mock COR Audit
A full practice audit with a score for each audit element. Best when your audit date is close or you’re preparing for recertification.
View the Mock COR AuditNot sure which one fits? Book a free 30-minute consultation and we’ll recommend the right starting point.
Self-check
Is Your Safety Program Ready for a COR Audit?
Tick each statement you can honestly back up. A “yes” should mean the requirement is current, understood, used and supported by records, not just that a document exists.
0 of 12 statements tickedWork through the list. Any statement you can’t back up with records is a gap worth closing before your audit.
If several statements can’t be backed up with records, complete a readiness review before you schedule the external audit. The goal is to find the gaps while there’s still time to correct them.
Free download
Take the COR Readiness Checklist With You
Use the interactive, print-friendly PDF to work through 18 program, implementation and audit-record questions. Record your priorities, assign owners and build a corrective-action plan before your external audit.
The checklist is a preparation tool. It isn’t an audit score or a guarantee of COR or SECOR.
What the checklist covers
- Program foundations and current documents
- Workplace implementation and worker readiness
- Audit records and verification
- Corrective-action priorities, owners and target dates
Your role
The Report Gives You a Plan. Your Team Puts It to Work.
What stays with you
- Reviewing and acting on the findings.
- Assigning enough time, people and resources.
- Putting the recommendations into day-to-day work.
- Keeping records that show continued use.
- Choosing your certifying partner and independent external auditor.
Implementation support is available
We can provide a separate scope to help revise documents, develop missing materials, support training and track corrective actions. If records management is a gap, we can also set up Site App Pro to keep inspections, corrective actions and training records organized.
Where our involvement could affect audit independence, we’ll explain the limitation and step back from the certification audit.
No consultant can guarantee COR or SECOR
Certification is decided by your certifying partner through an independent audit or evaluation. You control whether recommendations are carried out, workers take part, records are kept and the system keeps running.
A readiness review helps you find weaknesses and prepare properly. It can’t control the final audit findings, scoring or certification decision.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a COR Readiness Review?
It’s a preparation review for employers working toward COR or SECOR. We look at your documents and records, interview a representative group of workers and supervisors and observe the work, then give you a written report with prioritized actions to complete before your external audit.
How is it different from a COR Gap Review or a Mock COR Audit?
A COR Gap Review is a remote review of your documents. A readiness review adds representative interviews and workplace observations to check whether your program is being used. A Mock COR Audit is a full practice audit with a score for each audit element.
Does it work for SECOR?
Yes. The review is designed for any employer working toward COR or SECOR, and we scale it to the size of your operation and the standard your certifying partner uses.
How much does a COR Readiness Review cost?
It starts at $2,499.99 plus GST. More workers, several locations, higher-hazard work and travel raise the price. We confirm your price in writing after a free 30-minute consultation, before any work begins.
Do you visit our workplace?
Most documents and records are reviewed digitally. Workplace observations are part of the review, and the number of locations and observations is confirmed in your scope.
Is a readiness review a certification audit?
No. It’s a preparation and gap-assessment service. It doesn’t replace the external audit or evaluation required by your certifying partner.
Can you guarantee we’ll get COR or SECOR?
No consultant can guarantee COR or SECOR. Certification is decided by your certifying partner through an independent audit or evaluation, and it depends on your team carrying out the recommendations and keeping records.
When should we book the review?
As early as possible. Training, inspections, drills and corrective actions all take time to put in place and show in your records, so an early review gives you room to fix gaps before your audit date.
Start before the audit date becomes urgent
Request a COR Readiness Review
Tell us whether you’re pursuing COR or SECOR, how many employees and locations you have, and whether you already have a safety manual or previous audit results. Starting at $2,499.99 plus GST, with your scope and price confirmed in writing before any work begins.
Before you reach out
Quick answers about working with us
- Which areas do you serve?
- Calgary Safety Consultants is a Western Canadian health and safety consulting firm. We support employers across Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, on site and online.
- Who will we work with?
- Projects are led by John Duplessis, B.Sc., CRSP, President and Principal Health & Safety Consultant, who has more than 30 years of occupational health and safety experience. He is a Canadian Registered Safety Professional, a certified COR auditor and a member of Health and Safety Professionals Canada and the Alberta Society of Health and Safety Professionals.
- How do we get started?
- Book a free 30-minute consultation on our calendar, call 1-888-231-0358, or use the form below. We talk through your situation first, then send a written scope and quote before any work begins.
- What does it cost?
- Our Starter Safety Manual Package, recommended for SECOR, is $1,995 plus GST. Other consulting is quoted per project after the first conversation, so you know the scope and cost up front. Online courses are priced per learner, starting at $24.99, and 10% comes off automatically at checkout when you buy 10 or more seats of the same course.
- Do you work with small businesses?
- Yes. Many of our clients are small and mid-sized employers without a full-time safety department, including contractors, manufacturers, non-profits and clinics.
- Can you help with COR, audits and training too?
- Yes. We conduct COR audits and help with COR and SECOR preparation, safety manuals, hazard assessments, compliance audits, emergency response plans, incident investigations and contractor prequalification in ISNetworld, Avetta and ComplyWorks. We also offer online courses including WHMIS, TDG and OH&S leadership. We can’t guarantee that you’ll obtain COR or SECOR, but we warranty our service: if your audit or evaluation raises any issues with our work, we’ll help you resolve them at no additional charge.
Contact Us
Need help with a safety manual, COR audit preparation, OHS order, hazard assessment, training, or ongoing safety support? Complete the form below or book a 30-minute consultation. We will review your situation, identify the next practical step, and explain how Calgary Safety Consultants can help.