TTC to implement CoR safety on projects

In a move applauded by both the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA) and the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA), the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is implementing the Certificate of Recognition (CoR) safety program on its construction projects.

TTC spokesman Brad Ross confirmed that the program will be rolled out in phases, starting next July 1 with contracts valued at greater than $25 million. The next target is Jan. 1, 2015 for contracts valued at more than $5 million. Full implementation is anticipated by Jan. 1, 2016.

The requirement will be included in construction bid documents as a prequalification safety criterion in order to bid on TTC capital projects, according to a staff report submitted to the TTC board. The report stated that target implementation dates could be adjusted to ensure that the number of certified contractors is sufficient to allow for competitive bidding.

“I think this (implementation of CoR) is a natural for us,” Ross said.

“From its inception, the TTC has always put safety first in all that it does, whether it’s for its customers, employees, the public at large or on its construction projects. We are a very safety-conscious organization.”

Implementation of the program was approved by the transit commission’s board in late May.

The TTC is believed to be the first owner in the province to adopt the CoR program, which provides employers with an effective tool to assess their health and safety management system, CoR is aimed at driving positive workplace behaviour and practices that lead to improved safety performance.

In Ontario, IHSA is the organization that grants certification under the nationally trademarked program, which began in Alberta more than 20 years ago. The association is responsible for ensuring that CoR standards are upheld.

To date, 33 firms have been officially certified. Eight are OGCA members. Currently, about 265 firms are registered in the program, including 60 OGCA members.

“I would deem them (the TTC) to be leaders — and courageous leaders,” said Paul Casey, the association’s vice-president of programs and strategic development.

“They are what I would consider an influential buyer and user of construction.”

IHSA has been actively promoting adoption of the program in the province with buyers of construction, but Casey said “it’s a tough sell.” The program was launched in Ontario two years ago. IHSA and the OGCA collaborated to develop and pilot a program for Ontario general contractors.

Currently, the two organizations are working with Infrastructure Ontario to develop guidelines for adoption of the program on the Crown corporation’s alternatively financed and procured projects.

OGCA president Clive Thurston said the endorsement of CoR by the transit commission is “a tremendous acknowledgment” of the value of the certification program as well as a validation of the efforts of both OGCA and IHSA to promote adoption in the industry.

“It’s great to see an organization of the calibre of the TTC step up and be first out of the gate,” he said, noting that the transit commission undertakes as much construction as some major municipalities.

“This is a huge endorsement of the value of CoR both to owners and the industry.” Thurston said it’s important to note that the costs of achieving certification are borne by contractors. “This doesn’t cost owners anything, unlike many of the private programs that are out there,” he said.

Although the TTC will be rolling out the CoR requirement over the next couple of years, this will supplement current safety requirements which include requesting a Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) clearance certificate, confirming the contractor is in good standing with the WSIB, as a condition of contract award and ensuring no work on a construction site can commence until a specific site safety plan has been submitted and approved by TTC.