- October 1, 2026
- Jeff Weaver
COR Audit Preparation: Organize Your Safety Records
COR audit preparation becomes more manageable when your safety records are complete, organized, and easy to retrieve. The challenge is often bringing together information collected by different people across multiple jobsites.
A practical review helps you identify missing evidence early and gives your team time to address gaps. The same organizational approach can also support SECOR preparation, using the requirements of the applicable program.
Start With Your Current Audit Tool
Before gathering documents, obtain the current audit tool and guidance from your certifying partner. These explain what your organization needs to demonstrate and which evidence is relevant.
Use the tool to map your existing records to the applicable requirements. This gives your preparation a clear structure and helps you avoid collecting documents without knowing how they support the assessment.
Confirm the required evidence period and submission format. Different programs have different expectations, so a checklist from another province or industry may not fit your assessment.
Review Policies and Procedures
Check whether your written safety program reflects your current operations. Responsibilities should be clear, and procedures should address the work your employees actually perform.
Look for outdated information, conflicting versions, and procedures that have not been communicated to the people using them.
For example, a procedure may refer to equipment your company no longer uses or assign responsibilities to a position that no longer exists. Correcting these issues helps keep the program accurate and useful.
Retain relevant historical records while making it clear which procedures are currently in effect.
Check Records of Safety Activities
Review completed records for the activities covered by your program, such as hazard assessments, inspections, orientations, and safety meetings.
Check that relevant dates, locations, participants, findings, and follow-up information are recorded. A blank template demonstrates that a form exists; a completed record provides evidence that an activity happened.
Look across your operation rather than reviewing only the most organized jobsite. Missing records from one crew or location may reveal an issue with how information is collected.
If evidence is missing, identify the reason and address the process. Records should accurately reflect completed work.
Check That Records Reflect Worker Participation
As you review documentation, consider what it demonstrates about your team’s involvement.
Do hazard assessments reflect input from the people performing the work?
Do inspection findings lead to action?
Can workers explain the procedures relevant to their roles and why they follow them?
Use preparation as an opportunity to check understanding and address gaps. A completed form is stronger evidence when it reflects a process that workers understand and use.
Verify Training Information
Review training records against workers’ roles and the work they perform. Check that supporting certificates are available and that renewal dates are tracked where applicable.
Include records of company-specific orientations and instruction relevant to your program. A course certificate may be one part of the evidence needed to demonstrate that workers understand their responsibilities.
Where training is outstanding, assign responsibility for arranging it. Keeping this information visible helps supervisors make informed decisions about work assignments.
Review Incidents and Corrective Actions
Inspection findings and incident investigations should connect to appropriate follow-up.
Check whether corrective actions clearly describe the issue, identify an owner, and record completion. Where appropriate, include evidence that the action addressed the underlying problem.
For example, an inspection may identify damaged access equipment. Follow-up could include removing it from service, arranging replacement, and confirming that suitable equipment is available.
A “complete” status is more useful when someone reviewing the record can understand what changed.
Make Evidence Easy to Find
Choose a consistent way to organize records by activity, date, location, or another structure suited to your operation. Use clear file names and reduce unnecessary duplication.
Assign an owner to each area of preparation. This prevents records from being overlooked because everyone assumed someone else was responsible.
Before the assessment, ask a colleague to retrieve a sample of records. If finding a training certificate or inspection report requires several phone calls, your organization process may need attention.
Connect Safety Processes and Evidence With InUnison
InUnison helps bring training, inspections, incident reports, and corrective actions together so your team can participate in safety processes and managers can review the follow-up.
Safety program content helps communicate expectations. Completed activities then provide evidence of how those expectations are applied—from a worker reporting an issue to a supervisor confirming that it has been addressed.
This connection makes documentation more useful during audit preparation: it helps tell the story of how your safety program functions.