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Become SAFE Work Certified

As an employer, SAFE Work Certified provides an opportunity to make your workplace safer and to qualify for a prevention rebate on your WCB premium.

Based on WCB statistics organizations that receive SAFE Work Certification also have:

  • lower injury rates 
  • lower time-loss injury rates 
  • lower injury costs per worker from claims reported to the WCB 
  • fewer work days taken for time-loss injuries 

Application process

The following steps outline the path to becoming SAFE Work Certified.

  1. Apply to the program: complete your SAFE Work Certified application form and send it in Excel format to the certifying partner for your industry. If you’re unsure of who your certifying partner is, please contact SAFE Work Manitoba. 
  2. Participate in training: Participate in the required training provided by your certifying partner.
  3. Implement and assess your safety and health management system: Work with your certifying partner to design, implement and/or assess your safety and health management system, with the goal of meeting the SAFE Work Certified standard.
  4. Pass a SAFE Work Certified audit: Meet the requirements of a SAFE Work Certified audit completed by a SAFE Work Certified auditor. Your certification is valid for three years provided you meet the annual maintenance requirements.
  5. Complete an annual maintenance audit: To maintain your certification and be eligible for the prevention rebate, complete an annual maintenance audit prior to your certification anniversary date.
  6. Receive your rebate: Qualify for the annual prevention rebate by meeting the SAFE Work Certified standard and qualifying criteria.

Passing a SAFE Work Certified audit

The SAFE Work Certified audit requires a performance-based approach, which differs from most traditional and compliance-based auditing practices. The purpose is to conduct an independent and objective review of the organization’s safety and health management system to promote improvements. Performance-based auditing involves measuring an organization’s performance against defined criteria and objectives.

The SAFE Work Certified audit process includes several steps to ensure a clear audit trail of required forms and activities. These steps are outlined below.

 

1. Evaluate your safety and health management system

Contact your certifying partner to discuss evaluating your safety and health management system in preparation for your SAFE Work Certified audit.

 

2. Apply for your SAFE Work Certified audit

  • Complete an audit application to request a SAFE Work Certified audit for your organization and email the completed form in Excel format to your certifying partner. 
  • Co-ordinate audit activities when contacted by your auditor. 
  • Review the audit confirmation letter that will be sent to you by the auditor once your audit application has been received by your certifying partner. This letter will confirm the details of conducting the audit, schedule and audit activities.

3. Participate in a pre-audit meeting

Attend a pre-audit meeting with the auditor. Attendees at this meeting would include an employer representative for your organization (e.g., senior leader), as well as the workplace safety and health committee worker co-chair or worker representative (or designate).

 

4. Participate in your SAFE Work Certified audit

Communicate the logistical audit activities to your workers to ensure a well-organized, efficient audit when the SAFE Work Certified auditor arrives. 

  • Coordinate with all work sites if there are multiple sites involved in your audit. 
  • Support the auditor when on site, as required.

5. Complete auditor evaluation

Once you receive the link from your certifying partner, complete an evaluation for your auditor through Survey Monkey. The link will be sent to you once the auditor completes your audit. You must complete it within five business days of receiving it to receive your final audit report and score.

 

6. Participate in a close-out meeting

Attend an audit close-out meeting that will be scheduled by the auditor to review the SAFE Work Certified audit results and to provide you with an opportunity to ask any questions that you may have about your score or the process.

Involve the same personnel who attended the pre-audit meeting in the close-out meeting. This should include an employer representative of your organization and workplace safety and health committee worker co-chair or worker representative (or designate).

Confirm that the audit has been reviewed by the workplace safety and health committee worker co-chair or worker representative (or designate) and ensure that they complete the bottom portion of the executive summary report, including: 

  • name of worker representative 
  • date
  • the checkbox indicating the report has been read

Selecting this box indicates that they have been informed of the audit process and outcomes, and have had the opportunity to ask questions. It does not mean the audit report or score has been agreed to. If there are concerns about the audit report or score, an employer can initiate an appeal.

Email the electronically-signed executive summary report in Excel format to your certifying partner. SAFE Work Manitoba will also need to receive a copy.  

Receive your SAFE Work Certification

Once you have successfully completed the audit, you will receive your certification date and certificate from your certifying partner. It is important to record your certification anniversary date. This date will be used for your annual maintenance audits to maintain certification and to be eligible for the prevention rebate.

If you did not obtain SAFE Work Certified for your organization, contact your certifying partner to determine next steps. 

Complete and submit your action plan

Work with your certifying partner to develop your action plan based on the areas identified for improvement during your SAFE Work Certified audit.

Consult with the workplace safety and health committee worker co-chair or worker representative (or designate) when developing the action plan, and include the names of both the employer and workplace safety and health committee worker co-chair or worker representative (or designate) who were involved.

The action plan must be developed in consultation with a worker representative and must include both the employer and worker representative’s names.

Submit your action plan to your certifying partner within 90 days of receiving the action plan template.

Annual maintenance audits

In years two and three of your certification, your organization will also conduct maintenance audits, which a maintenance auditor will complete. It can be completed as early as six months after your certification or re-certification, and no later than your certification anniversary date.

Your organization’s maintenance auditor is one or more of your employees who has attended the Auditing for Certification (maintenance auditor) course offered through your certifying partner. Your maintenance auditor must have received this training prior to conducting a maintenance audit.

Please contact your certifying partner for more information on the course.

If your organization does not have a trained maintenance auditor, you can engage a SAFE Work Certified auditor to conduct your maintenance audits.

The maintenance audit is a prerequisite for maintaining SAFE Work Certified status. Maintenance audits are also a requirement to be eligible for the prevention rebate. Read more about eligibility for the Prevention Rebate Program here.

Workers and SAFE Work Certification

The participation of workers is essential to an effective safety and health program. Workers need to have an active role and an empowered voice to work together with co-workers and managers in making meaningful safety and health improvements. This includes open dialogue where workers’ input into safety and health is not only requested, but is also valued, encouraged and welcomed.  

During the audit process, workers’ participation and opinions about the safety and health of their workplaces will be assessed. The audit will assess: 

  • Do workers understand and are they engaged in the carrying out of their safety and health rights and responsibilities? 
  • Is there an active and effective workplace safety and health committee or worker representative in the workplace? 
  • Are there specific protections for vulnerable workers and provisions for their inclusion in safety and health programming? 
  • Do workers express confidence in the safety and health of their work and workplace? 

In addition, a worker co-chair of the workplace’s safety and health committee or a worker representative will be asked to participate during the audit process and will receive training to fulfil this duty effectively. The worker co-chair of the safety and health committee or worker representative will: 

  • attend the pre-audit meeting 
  • review certification audit outcomes with the auditor and sign off on the audit 
  • participate in the development of action plans to address weaknesses identified in the audit 
  • share information with the safety and health committee and other workers 

The participating worker co-chair of the safety and health committee or worker representative are asked to sign off on the audit to confirm that: 

  • the audit content has been reviewed 
  • the audit process has been explained 
  • there has been an opportunity to ask questions 

Employer forms

SAFE Work Certified application

The SAFE Work Certified application is completed by an organization seeking to become SAFE Work Certified. It determines eligibility and provides detailed company information to the certifying partner. 

 

Request an audit

Audit application 

The audit application is completed by an organization and submitted to the certifying partner in order to request a SAFE Work Certified audit. 

 

Action plan template

The action plan template is completed once a SAFE Work Certified audit, SAFE Work Certified recertification audit or a maintenance audit is completed. 

Related links