The problem with paper FLHA signatures
Paper FLHAs have an inherent credibility problem. There's no way to verify that the worker who signed the form was actually on site when they signed it. There's no timestamp proving the assessment happened before work started. There's nothing stopping a supervisor from signing a stack of blank forms at the end of the week.
In a WorkSafeBC investigation following a serious incident, a lawyer for the injured worker will argue exactly this: that your FLHA records are unverifiable, and therefore the hazard assessment didn't meaningfully happen. Without GPS and timestamp data, that argument is difficult to counter.
What GPS verification proves
When a worker submits an FLHA through TrueCOR Safety, the system automatically captures:
- GPS coordinates at the exact moment of submission
- Timestamp — date and time to the minute
- Device information — the specific device used for submission
Combined with the worker's drawn e-signature, this creates a record that proves: this specific person, was at these coordinates, at this time, and personally signed off on the hazard assessment. That's not what a paper form can say.
In a WCB claim dispute or WorkSafeBC investigation, a GPS-verified FLHA with a drawn e-signature and timestamp is dramatically stronger evidence than a paper form. It removes the "we don't know if the assessment actually happened" argument that is frequently raised against paper records.
How GPS data holds up in COR audits
COR auditors are increasingly sophisticated about what good documentation looks like. A GPS-verified FLHA record with a unique timestamp per worker per submission signals systematic, genuine implementation. Paper forms — especially identical ones — signal checkbox compliance.
In BC COR audits, documentation quality is evaluated alongside documentation quantity. Having GPS-verified records for 100% of your workforce every day tells a different story than having paper forms for most days, some of which are hard to read.
What happens to GPS data if a worker is in a low-signal area
Modern smartphones capture GPS coordinates through a combination of satellite, cell tower, and WiFi positioning. In most construction site environments — including many remote sites — GPS coordinates are captured successfully. In areas with genuinely no signal, the FLHA can still be completed and submitted, with coordinates captured when connectivity is restored.
For extremely remote operations, TrueCOR Safety's offline capability (on the roadmap) will allow full FLHA completion and GPS capture without active connectivity at submission time.
The difference between GPS verification and GPS tracking
TrueCOR Safety captures GPS coordinates once, at the moment of FLHA submission. It does not track worker locations throughout the day. Workers are not being monitored — the GPS data simply establishes that they were on site when they completed their morning assessment. This distinction is important for worker privacy and for the legal interpretation of the records.