Twelve program elements, scored. This is the assessment we run before quoting a safety program build, and it tells you the same thing it tells us: which parts of your program exist on paper, which exist in practice, and which do not exist at all.
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| Score | Level | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Absent | Does not exist in any form. |
| 1 | Informal | Happens sometimes, depends on individuals, not written down. |
| 2 | Documented | Written and mostly followed, but not verified or consistently recorded. |
| 3 | Managed | Written, practised, recorded, reviewed, and improved on evidence. |
| # | Element | A managed program has | Score | Evidence or gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Policy and commitment | A signed, dated policy, posted where workers can see it and reviewed at least annually (OHSA s.25(2)(j), Ontario), with senior management taking part in safety activities. | ||
| 2 | Roles and responsibilities | Written duties for management, supervisors and workers, known to the people holding them. | ||
| 3 | Hazard identification and risk assessment | A documented method, current assessments for every task, and reassessment on change. | ||
| 4 | Safe work practices and procedures | Written procedures for high-risk tasks, accessible at the point of work, followed in practice. | ||
| 5 | Training and competency | A training matrix by role, delivery records, refresher tracking and competency verification. | ||
| 6 | Inspections | A schedule, a checklist, findings assigned to an owner with a date, and verified closure. | ||
| 7 | Incident reporting and investigation | Reporting that captures near misses, root-cause investigation, and corrective actions that close. | ||
| 8 | Emergency preparedness | Plans for the emergencies you can actually have, trained responders, and drills with records. | ||
| 9 | Contractor and visitor management | Prequalification, orientation, and oversight of contractors while they are on your site. | ||
| 10 | Joint committee or representative | Correct structure for your size, meeting on schedule, minutes posted, recommendations answered. | ||
| 11 | Records and document control | Current versions, retention periods met, and any record retrievable on request. | ||
| 12 | Program review and improvement | An annual management review that changes something, based on leading and lagging indicators. | ||
| Total (out of 36) |
| Total | Where you are | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 11 | Program in name only | Start with elements 1, 3 and 5. Everything else depends on them. |
| 12 – 23 | Documented, not embedded | Close the gap between what is written and what happens. Focus on any element scoring 1. |
| 24 – 30 | Working program | Push the 2s to 3s. Verification and review are usually what is missing. |
| 31 – 36 | Audit-ready | You are in range for a COR or ISO 45001 audit. Confirm against the specific audit tool. |
| Rank | Element | Gap | Action | Owner | Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Our consultants (CRSP Certified · COR & ISO 45001 Lead Auditors) can adapt this to your workplace or review your safety program with you.
This resource is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm every requirement against the current regulation in your jurisdiction before relying on it.