Safety
COR 2020 and ISO 45001 certified — on every site, every day
The safety of OE's employees, our Customers, and the communities we work in is our first priority — and it is recognized: OE is a Safe Employer under Supporting Ontario's Safe Employers (SOSE).
What it means to be a COR certified utility contractor in Ontario
As a COR certified utility contractor in Ontario, OE Utility Services treats safety as the work itself — not a layer added on top of it. In utility excavation, being safer than the alternative is not the same as being safe, so we engineer safety into the job: trained people, daily leadership review, audited sites, and externally certified systems.
The safety of our employees, our Customers, and the communities we work in is our first priority. That commitment is built into how every crew plans, digs, and restores — and it is independently verified, not self-declared.
Trained, Equipped, and Engaged
Training for Tomorrow
A comprehensive 2-day onboarding immerses new employees in OE's safety culture, followed by a minimum of one month of hands-on training under experienced trainers. Ongoing mandatory online training, safety moments, and safety alerts keep the team vigilant.
OE provides all protective work clothing (PPE), seasonal adaptations, and the required safety gear for every role.
Proactive Daily Engagement
The Leadership Team meets every day to review business activities and safety incidents. Open communication and swift action drive us toward a zero-incident workplace.
Job Site Safety Assessments & Audits
Crews complete a thorough Job Site Safety Assessment before any work begins, identifying and mitigating hazards pre-emptively. Executives, managers, and supervisors perform random job-site and equipment audits to keep standards high across the province.
A smartphone application with a point-rating system captures audit results, which are reviewed with the frontline Leadership Team every month — closing the loop between what happens on site and how we improve.
How Our Safety Program Adds Up
A snapshot of the cadence behind OE's safety culture — from a new hire's first day to the externally audited credentials that back it all up.
Safety onboarding starts before the first shift — a comprehensive 2-day program.
Hands-on field training under experienced trainers before working independently.
The Leadership Team reviews business activities and safety across the company.
Audit results are reviewed with the frontline Leadership Team to drive improvement.
Externally audited credentials behind the program: COR 2020, ISO 45001, and SOSE.
Certifications That Set Us Apart
OE holds COR 2020 certification in Ontario and the ISO 45001 international standard, and is recognized as a Safe Employer under the Supporting Ontario's Safe Employers (SOSE) program. Our health and safety programs undergo rigorous evaluation by external and internal auditors, consistently meeting or surpassing the criteria.
Certificate of Recognition
Issued through the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA) — a nationally recognized health and safety accreditation, audited annually.
International Standard
ISO 45001:2018 for occupational health and safety management systems — the global benchmark for managing workplace risk.
Safe Employer
Recognized as a Safe Employer under Supporting Ontario's Safe Employers (SOSE), administered by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
View Our Certificates
Our current certificates are below. Select any certificate to open the full-size image in a new tab.
Helping Set the Standard for Safe Work
OE is an early and active contributor to safe-work practices with the Technical Standards & Safety Authority (TSSA) and the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA).
OE was a founding member and the first Chair of the Hydrovac Alliance of Ontario (HVAO), advocating best practices for safe work on buried underground infrastructure across the province.
Questions about how we keep your site safe?
Three decades in, the promise is the same. Reach out for a free consultation or estimate — one call, one team.