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SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Collins Bus Corp. has earned certification in the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP).

Representatives of the Kansas Department of Labor were joined by state and local officials on Thursday to present the Type A bus manufacturer with the honor.

The award, administered by the Labor Department in conjunction with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), recognizes Collins as a national model for workplace safety and health.

The company has more than 220 employees in its South Hutchinson manufacturing facility.

“SHARP is an award only presented to companies that have achieved excellence in the area of safety and health and have met rigid OSHA criteria," said Clifford Morris, acting director of the Kansas Department of Labor's Division of Industrial Safety & Health. "Collins Bus Corporation is one of only 157 companies that have achieved this distinction in Kansas.”

To qualify for SHARP certification, companies must undergo a comprehensive evaluation and series of audits, correct any identifiable hazards, demonstrate that effective safety and health programs are in place, and maintain lost-workday injury and illness rates below the national average for the past three years.

Collins’ SHARP certification is good for two years. It frees the company from OSHA compliance inspections during that period, and it can be renewed for another two years.

“Safety is the first and most important priority of every Collins employee,” said Kent Tyler, president of Collins Bus Corp. “I could not be prouder of the management team and employees who not only practice safety on the production floor, but who also build safety into every school and activity bus that rolls off our production line.”

Among the officials joining the Kansas Labor Department in congratulating Collins employees were Kansas House of Representatives Speaker Mike O’Neal and South Hutchinson Mayor Weldon Cook.

The SHARP certification is one of two safety awards that Collins earned this year. In June, the company received the Kansas State Safety Award for operating more than 500,000 hours without a time-lost injury.