Compliance
Credential tracking: where the spreadsheet stops helping
A credential spreadsheet is useful for recording cards and dates, but it does not enforce them. It cannot attach a requirement to a client role, stop a worker with a missing or expired record from being dispatched, or preserve evidence of what the agency checked when the assignment was approved.
The fix is not another colour or formula. Keep one worker record, attach each requirement to the role and site, warn before an expiry, and run the check again at dispatch. The agency still decides whether the evidence is acceptable; the system makes sure the decision cannot be skipped.
What needs to be tracked for the three staffing desks?
The record follows the work. A warehouse or 3PL role may require prior lift-truck training evidence plus the receiving employer's equipment assessment and site authorization. WHMIS appears when actual or foreseeable exposure makes it applicable. Food processing may add plant GMP, allergen, sanitation, hygiene-zone, or machine modules. Manufacturing may add machine, setup, hazardous-energy, quality, or site records. Keep PPE issuance as a worksite item, not a worker credential.
Where does a spreadsheet stop?
- It records a document but does not know which client, worksite, role, or equipment class requires it.
- It can highlight a date but does not prevent the worker from being assigned after that date.
- A copied attachment or emailed workbook can drift away from the current worker record.
- It does not preserve one assignment-time receipt showing the requirement, the evidence checked, the result, and who approved the dispatch.
- It cannot distinguish a missing document, an expired record, and evidence that is present but still waiting for a person to verify it.
What should happen before a worker reaches the shift?
- The role inherits its requirements from the client and worksite.
- The worker record shows the evidence, issuer or training source, equipment class where relevant, and any expiry or review date.
- The system warns while there is still time to collect updated evidence.
- Dispatch runs the requirement check again when the worker is selected.
- Anything missing, expired, or unverified blocks the assignment until a person resolves it.
- The final dispatch receipt records what passed and who approved the worker.
What does a spreadsheet do compared with an active gate?
| Job | Spreadsheet | Active credential gate |
|---|---|---|
| Store the document and date | Yes | Yes |
| Connect it to a client role and site | Manual convention | Required by the role |
| Distinguish missing, expired, and awaiting review | Manual labels | Separate honest states |
| Stop an ineligible dispatch | No | Yes |
| Preserve the assignment-time check | Manual reconstruction | One decision receipt |
| Show the owner what needs attention next | Filter and inspect | Prioritized exception list |
How should province and site rules fit together?
Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta each publish occupational health and safety duties, but the operational requirement often becomes more specific at the worksite. A province may require adequate instruction and supervision while the client names the exact lift-truck class or plant orientation. Track both layers instead of treating one generic card as permission for every site.
Common questions
Which worker credentials should an agency track?
Track what the law, client contract, role, equipment, work area, and site require. For Kordis's core desks that can mean prior equipment-training evidence, receiving-employer assessment, site authorization, exposure-triggered WHMIS, plant and task modules, and client orientations. Do not copy one universal checklist across every client.
Does every credential have an expiry date?
No. Some certificates carry an expiry, some training records require review after a defined period, and some site orientations remain valid only while the client's procedure stays unchanged. Store the rule that applies to that evidence instead of inventing one renewal interval for everything.
What if the worker uploads a card that has not been checked?
Keep it in an awaiting-review state. Uploading a file proves only that a file arrived; it does not prove authenticity, relevance to the equipment class, or acceptance by the client. Dispatch should stay blocked until the agency verifies and attests the evidence.
Can a spreadsheet still be enough for a small roster?
It can be enough to record dates when the owner is willing to check every requirement before every assignment. The risk is not a particular roster size. It appears when recording and dispatch become separate steps and the second step can proceed without the first.
Who decides whether a worker is qualified?
The responsibility depends on the requirement. The agency decides whether to dispatch using the applicable law, client policy, and evidence on file. The receiving employer owns equipment assessment and site authorization for its workplace. Software can enforce those stated gates and preserve the receipt, but it should not invent a qualification or turn an upload into authorization.
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