Certificate of Recognition FAQs
The Certificate of Recognition (COR) is awarded to employers who implement and maintain an agricultural occupational health and safety program that exceeds regulatory requirements. COR recognition is earned by employers who successfully meet and pass a set of audit standards.
To participate in the COR Program, employers must register with a Certifying Partner that offers services to their particular industry. To search for the Certifying Partner that serves your industry, please click here .
Employers wanting to enter the program in sectors without a Certifying Partner will be aligned with the Certifying Partner that most closely matches their needs, by a process of “natural alignment”.
The Partners Program is a voluntary program that recognizes and provides incentive payments to agricultural employers who go beyond the legal requirements of the Workers Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, and take a best-practices approach to implementing health, safety, and return-to-work programs.
There is no cost to participate in the Certificate of Recognition. *All Non-AgSafe Members, please contact the office for more information
The reward for this new, higher level of accountability is first and foremost a safer, healthier workforce but there are important financial benefits, as well. WorkSafeBC provides incentive payments to COR companies in good standing.
Over time, with reduced injuries and shorter claims duration, the primary agricultural employer’s experience rated WorkSafeBC premium will reflect additional savings.
The incentive payment is calculated using the following calculation:
company’s reported assessable payroll x CU base rate / $100 x 10%
LARGE EMPLOYER EXAMPLE: If your reported payroll was $2 million and your CU base rate was $2.00, your incentive payment would be $4,000: ($2,000,000 X $2.00)/$100 x 10% = $4,000
SMALL EMPLOYER: There is a minimum annual COR payment (currently the lesser of $1000, or 75% of what the employer has paid in premiums for the incentive year being calculated) to ensure a financial incentive is possible for even the smallest employers.
Employers must implement an agricultural health and safety program then successfully pass the audit prior to applying for an incentive payment.
Classification Unit (CU) | CU# |
---|---|
Artificial Insemination or Animal Breeding | 701001 |
Apiary | 701002 |
Berry Farming | 701003 |
Composting | 701004 |
Dairy Farming, or Livestock Auctioning Services | 701005 |
Egg Farming | 701006 |
Farm Labour Supply or Farm Services | 701008 |
Feed Lot | 701009 |
Fur Bearing Animal Farming | 701010 |
Grain Farming | 701011 |
Hay or Seed Farming | 701013 |
Hog Farming | 701014 |
Hunting or Trapping | 701015 |
White Mushroom Farming | 701016 |
Orchard | 701017 |
Ornamental Nursery or Floral Field Production | 701018 |
Poultry Farming and Related Services | 701020 |
Ranch | 701022 |
Horse Ranching, Raising, and Breeding | 701023 |
Sod or Turf Nursery | 701024 |
Vegetable Farming | 701025 |
Vineyard | 701026 |
Wild Plant Harvesting | 701027 |
Floral Greenhouse | 701028 |
Vegetable Greenhouse | 701029 |
Primary agricultural employers wishing to register for the program should fill out the online registration form, or contact their Regional Safety Consultant, Advisor or the AgSafe office at 1-877-533-1789.
COR certifications are valid for three years. Annually, every employer must conduct a maintenance audit to keep their certificate of recognition valid to be considered for an incentive payment.
An active agricultural health and safety program helps to ensure workers and agricultural workplaces are safe and secure from injury, illness and disease. This is accomplished through identifying, assessing, and controlling risks to workers.
An agricultural audit is a comprehensive review which must be carried out by a qualified auditor, using an agricultural audit provided by AgSafe. The audit covers the basic elements required for a health and safety program and includes interview, documentation review, and first-hand observation.