SHARP Awards
ConFab, Incorporated (CFI), a C-Tech Industrial Group, Inc. company earned the Safety and Health Administration award by OSHA.  This is the second company from the group to be awarded the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) Award.  Blackburn Maintenance, Inc. (BMI) received the award in 2010.  The SHARP award recognizes small business employers who operate exemplary injury and illness prevention programs.  These companies are only two of 177 in Kansas to have earned the award, out of about 1500 nationwide.

On Friday, October 26, 2012, several of our employees, both management and shop personnel traveled to Topeka, KS to receive the award after it was signed by Governor Sam Brownback. SHARP recipients must pass strict inspections and checks, and must meet strict OSHA standards and regulations.  One of the benefits is being exempt from OSHA programmed inspections during the period the SHARP certification is valid.

Qualifying for the award takes time and effort; and includes participation from employees and management.  Everyone must be working towards the end goal, which even though the short term goal was to receive the SHARP award, the long term goal is always safety and making sure everyone goes home the same way they came to work.  “We are proud of the hard work our employees put in to maintain a safe work environment.”  Tracy Clites, President of ConFab, Incorporated said when asked how he feels about receiving the recognition.

KSafe Award
In addition to the workplace inspections and consulations, the ISH division also oversees two programs to recognize and reward businesses that commit to workplace safety. For the past four years, the agency has been recognizing private employers who have reached major milestones in safe operations through the Kansas State Safety (KSafe) Award Program.

Through the KSafe program, awards are presented when businesses achieve 100,000 hours, 500,000 hours and one million hours of operating without a time-lost injury. In 2009, 14 KSafe awards were presented to Kansas businesses. Since the inception of the program, 72 KSafe awards have been presented.