Safe construction sites benefit everyone

By Lanny McInnes
Date Posted: February 6, 2021

Safety is an important issue for the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association and our members. Ensuring workplaces and constructions sites are as safe as possible, especially during a pandemic, is top of mind. The MHBA requires all of its’ builder members to be COR/SECOR certified as part of our membership criteria. The Certificate of Recognition (COR) program is the ultimate accreditation to verify companies that have implemented a comprehensive health and safety program.

This program provides industry employers with an effective safety and health management system to reduce incidents and injuries along with associated human and financial costs. The Small Employer Certificate of Recognition (SECOR) program is an occupational health and safety accreditation program that verifies companies that have a fully implemented safety and health program that meets provincial standards. It’s like a simplified version of COR™ for smaller companies.

COR certified companies undertake extensive safety training for their workers. COR/SECOR certification for Manitoba’s residential construction industry is managed and monitored by the Construction Safety Association of Manitoba, or CSAM. CSAM is a non-profit organization run by and for the building construction industry in Manitoba to provide training and information on workplace injury prevention and regulatory compliance. CSAM is a tremendous resource of information and best practices that keep our COR/SECOR certified members up to date on workplace safety and health issues.

A safe work environment and a safe work culture in a company are also important in attracting new and young skilled workers wanting to enter the residential construction industry as a career. Consistently ensuring a safe work site goes a long way to making a company an employer of choice for workers entering the industry.

When you are looking for a builder for your new home, make sure your builder is COR/SECOR certified. You can be sure they are certified if they are a Manitoba Home Builders’ Association builder. You will want to know that the work site for your new home is safe and is operated by someone who takes pride in their reputation, their performance, and most of all, takes care of the people working on your new home. Safety is everyone’s business and everyone should come home from a day at work safe. For a complete listing of MHBA builder members, go to www.homebuilders.mb.ca.

From Feb. 27 to March 21, the MHBA’s 2021 Spring Parade of Homes will showcase 99 different homes by Manitoba’s leading home building companies. Each and every show home entered into the MHBA Parade of Homes was built on a safe worksite under the supervision of COR/SECOR certified company.

Lanny McInnes is president of the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association.

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