Expert Insight on How to Maintain and Maximize Your Certificate of Recognition

1. An Effective Digital Tracking Method 

One of the first things you have to ensure, since you have to supply heavy amounts of data and information to prove compliance year after year, is you have a proper method to track all EHS activities. A paper-based system is quite cumbersome, as you’ll have to spend hours or even days searching for the right piece of documentation or form. This is why Cam Mitchell recommends going digital.

“When I go into a place where they’ve embraced a software and they’re utilizing their document folders to share information with me versus a big binder…I actually have to physically go through there and identify the areas within the program that I’m looking to show compliance, whereas If I see it in a digital format, I can do a quick find feature and find your health and safety policy, find your hazard assessments, etc. and I can sample inspections very quickly,” says Cam.

With a digital EHS solution, all documents are located within one central platform, available for all team members to access, 24/7. Forget having to look through a year’s worth of boxes or forms to prove compliance. With the information centralized in one spot, you can access it in seconds!

Not only does this benefit you and your team, it benefits external auditors as well, especially during this pandemic. Simply grant them access to your digital system and they can go through all documents and information without having to worry about several touchpoints and other risks related to COVID-19. They’ll also be able to find what they’re looking for much easier, as they can simply use the search function to pull up the necessary information, rather than searching through binders, or worse, boxes of documents.

A digital solution will grant you complete visibility into your safety program giving you the ability to spot any deficiencies easily. By being able to see all the information at once, you can make data-driven decisions to strengthen your approach and easily maintain compliance, year after year.

2. A Means of Marketing Your Achievement

In addition to effectively maintaining COR year after year, it’s important to maximize this recognition by making your organization’s name known within your industry. Achieving COR is no small feat, so get the word out! According to Cam, displaying a strong safety record, credibility, and reliability to the market, will help you attract more opportunities.

First, demonstrate the fact you are COR certified proudly on your organization’s website and social media pages. Next, you can spread the word with different partners and external stakeholders who may have access to large bids within the market. Think email signatures, internal communications, press releases – and the like. Large-scale clients are generally attracted to organizations with strong safety records, so communicate your achievement and use it as your competitive edge!

There are several other key elements to help your organization maintain and maximize COR.

To get more insider information from COR expert and IHSA auditor Cam Mitchell on how to effectively boost your standing within the industry, check out our webinar “Make the Most of COR™: How to Maximize and Maintain COR”.