Riggs’ Fort Smith shop receives safety award

The Arkansas Department of Labor/OSHA recently recognized the Fort Smith branch of Riggs Cat for its achievement of exemplary Safety and Health management for that facility.

In a process that began more than six years ago, Mike Patton, safety and loss control specialist for Riggs Cat, requested that the Fort Smith location be considered for participation in the Department of Labor’s Safety and Health Achievement Program (SHARP). This program recognizes employers who operate businesses that comply with the strictest of health and safety guidelines, as mandated by the Department of Labor.

“We felt this was the right thing to do,” said Patton, “for the welfare of our employees as well as the company. By focusing on a safe and healthy work environment, everyone wins by reducing the number of injuries and days away. Our goal for Riggs Cat is to be better than the industry standard and, with the continued focus and commitment of our employees, we should have no problem achieving that goal.”

Accepting the award from James Salkeld, director of the Arkansas Department of Labor, on behalf of Riggs Cat, was Keith Riggs, vice president of corporate development.

According to Mr. Riggs, “Our goal is to have all of our locations in either the OSHA’s SHARP or VPP (Voluntary Protection Program). It is a great commitment from the owners, officers and employees to work toward a safety culture that focuses attention to the details of how to do a job both properly and safely.”

Once all SHARP requirements are met, and the facility re-inspected, the work place is then recommended for final SHARP approval and certification. There are only 63 job sites with Department of Labor Safety and Health Achievement Program certification in the state of Arkansas; seven of the 63 are Riggs Cat locations – Russellville, Texarkana, Springdale, West Memphis, El Dorado, Jonesboro and now Fort Smith.

As one of the oldest Caterpillar dealerships in the United States, Riggs Cat has been proudly serving Arkansas since 1927 and employs over 400 people statewide. The company operates ten facilities across the state: Little Rock, West Memphis, Texarkana, Fort Smith, Jonesboro, El Dorado, Springdale, Harrison, Russellville, and Searcy.