Webinar Highlights with Corporate Health & Safety Manager, Brad Humenjuk
Gillam Group has nearly doubled in size over the past year. With that rapid growth comes increased responsibility around safety, compliance, and risk management. In this webinar, Corfix’s Mike Burnett sat down with Gillam Group’s Corporate Health & Safety Manager, Brad Humenjuk, to discuss how the firm prepared for COR certification, what changed when they switched to digital field tools, and how strong leadership sustains a proactive safety culture.
Why COR Certification Matters
Gillam Group places high value on achieving and maintaining COR, the Certificate of Recognition widely considered the benchmark for construction safety systems in Canada. Brad emphasized COR’s prescriptive nature: policies, procedures, and documentation must meet very specific criteria. For large contractors bidding municipal or institutional work, COR is increasingly seen as the minimum standard.
As Brad points out, research backs this up: studies have shown that COR-certified companies in Ontario experience 28% fewer lost-time injuries and 20% fewer high-impact injuries compared to non-certified firms.
The Challenges of Paper-Based Documentation
When Brad joined Gillam Group, the team relied heavily on SharePoint and editable Word documents. Templates could be altered, printed copies were inconsistent, and tracking down scanned documents across multiple projects created what Brad called “controlled chaos.”
For COR audits, where evidence must be submitted in triplicate sets across months of activity, this lack of document control posed significant risk.
Digitizing the COR Journey
Today, Gillam Group uses Corfix to standardize forms, enforce document control, and simplify audit prep. Smart logic in templates streamlines incident and near-miss reporting. Integration with AuditSoft means auditors can access clean digital evidence instantly, without the bankers’ boxes of previous years.
Brad described the old process bluntly: without a digital platform, COR prep would be “an absolute nightmare.” Now, monthly and quarterly “blitzes” on key elements like fire extinguishers, equipment certifications, and emergency drills ensure the team stays audit-ready year-round.
Building a Culture of Reporting: “Don’t Walk By”
One standout initiative is Gillam’s Don’t Walk By program, which encourages workers to report hazards rather than ignore them. Reports flow directly through Corfix, where corrective actions can be assigned and tracked.
In just six months (January–June), the team logged 1,800+ submissions, reducing near misses and strengthening engagement across projects—including subcontractors, who can now report via QR codes.
Leadership That Walks the Talk
Gillam’s leadership sets the tone for a transparent, non-punitive safety culture. Brad noted that issues aren’t met with blame but with a simple question: “What can we do better?” Corfix supports this mindset by giving leaders real-time visibility into photos, inspections, incident reports, and site conditions, helping teams act faster and spot trends early.
Why Gillam Chose Corfix
Brad has used several safety platforms over the years. What differentiates Corfix, he said, is the partnership approach during onboarding and beyond. Instead of a “set it and forget it” deployment, Gillam worked closely with Corfix to tailor templates, streamline workflows, and support field adoption.
Asked what he could never go back to, Brad didn’t hesitate:
“Paper. Never again.”