By: Lanny Mcinnes
Safety is an important issue for the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association (MHBA) and our members.
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. The MHBA requires all of its builder members to be COR/SECOR-certified as part of our membership criteria.
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. CSAM is a tremendous resource of information and best practices that keep our COR/SECOR-certified members up to date on workplace health and safety issues.
MHBA renovator members take worksite safety just as seriously. In order to promote and achieve greater safety results for renovators, the MHBA and CSAM have partnered to develop a specific safety training program for home renovators. This safety program was launched at the 2017 MHBA Housing Forum last fall and has been available for renovators and their employees to take following that initial launch.
Starting this September, completion of the safety program will be a membership requirement for all MHBA renovator members and part of the MHBA membership criteria. The MHBA is excited to provide this training tool to our renovator members to help ensure that they are working in a safe work environment. The goal of this program is to help MHBA renovators improve safety on their worksites and keep them up to date on the latest in safety procedures and best practices.
When you are looking for a builder for your new home, you should make sure your builder is COR/SECOR certified. You can be sure they are certified if they are a Manitoba Home Builders’ Association builder.
If you are looking for a contractor to take care of your home renovation, hiring a MHBA renovator member will also ensure the job is done professionally and safely.
You will want to know that the work site for your 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 home. Safety is everyone’s business and everyone should come home from a day at work safe.
Beginning on Sept. 8, the MHBA Fall Parade of Homes will showcase 138 different homes by Manitoba’s best 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 a COR/SECOR-certified company.