In a significant shift for occupational health and safety (OHS) management in Ontario, the provincial government will legally recognize ISO 45001 and the Certificate of Recognition (COR) as equivalent under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The move, part of the latest Working for Workers legislative package, is designed to eliminate confusion in safety procurement and ensure fairer access to public contracts.

“We’re going to ensure that both are recognized as equivalent,” said Labour Minister David Piccini in an exclusive interview with Canadian Occupational Safety. “We’ve seen a number of municipalities require only one under the procurement policies, and I’ve heard from several contractors, Ontario contractors unable to bid, driving up costs. This is just not a place we need to be in.”

Regulatory shift with wide-ranging impact

The government will introduce legislation mandating the equivalency of ISO 45001 and COR — a move that will override municipal procurement preferences which have historically favoured COR-certified companies. Despite earlier efforts to influence change through letters and outreach, Minister Piccini stated:

“Municipalities are not moving fast enough, so we’re just legislating this — and it’ll now be law, if our next Working for Workers bill is passed.”

The initiative follows a growing chorus of industry voices calling for reform, particularly due to the widespread exclusion of ISO 45001-certified firms from municipal contract eligibility.

The background: A divide in safety certification

While COR, a Canadian construction-focused accreditation, has long been prioritized by Ontario municipalities, ISO 45001 is the globally recognized standard for occupational health and safety management systems. Both offer robust frameworks, but diverge in structure, auditing processes, and scope — with ISO offering broader industry applicability and international recognition.

This difference has created a perceived monopoly, especially in public-sector procurement, where COR has often been the sole accepted credential.

Advocating for the change

One of the most vocal advocates for this shift has been Kevin Brown, CEO of Cobalt Safety, a former Ontario Ministry of Labour inspector and a seasoned OHS consultant.

“If reports about Working for Workers are correct, Minister Piccini and Premier Ford deserve credit for doing the right thing — both on behalf of workers’ safety and the businesses who were facing confusion and therefore potential hazards due to conflicting messages about ISO and COR,” said Brown.

Brown launched a media and LinkedIn campaign in 2022, criticizing the privileging of COR in public procurement. He argued it unfairly benefited a small number of firms while excluding tens of thousands of Ontario businesses.

He also successfully lobbied the City of Toronto to update its procurement language to reflect the equivalency of ISO and COR, and obtained a statement from Ontario’s Chief Prevention Officer affirming that both systems should be recognized equally.

“One size does not fit all,” Brown said. “The confusion needed to be cleared up to remove the handcuffs on companies that wanted to bid for municipal projects, but either don’t have COR, or have determined COR is not the right fit for their safety needs. Safety should never be contained.”

“It’s an all-around win that benefits workers, companies, the IHSA, and the government. We are removing confusion in the system. And confusion is a hazard.”

Municipalities will have to comply

Once the legislation passes, municipalities across Ontario will be required to recognize both ISO 45001 and COR as equivalent — eliminating the procurement bottlenecks that have hindered thousands of firms from competing for public work.

Minister Piccini says no additional oversight mechanisms will be introduced specifically for ISO certification holders, despite concerns raised by stakeholders such as the IHSA.

“There’s no other jurisdiction to my understanding that requires that extra step,” he said. “So we will not be including that.”

The bottom line

This legislative change would be a landmark decision for Ontario’s construction and safety landscape — one that aims to balance fair competition with worker safety and recognizes that multiple accredited systems can deliver equally strong outcomes. But it may also face resistance from those who believe COR is superior.