McCarthy Building Cos Receives ADOSH VPP Safety Award at City of Chandler Airport Water Facility

CHANDLER, Ariz. - May 13, 2014 - PRLog -- The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) Consultation Department presents McCarthy Building Companies, the City of Chandler Airport Water Reclamation Facility as a “STAR Site” through the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). Companies and jobsites that are awarded the STAR designation demonstrate exemplary and comprehensive safety and health management systems. This marks the first city of Chandler owned facility to receive STAR designation by ADOSH.

McCarthy Building Companies, a Phoenix-based general contractor, is currently managing a large-scale expansion project at the site, taking the facility from a 15 MGD wastewater treatment plant to 22 MGD.The $105 million project, located at 905 E. Queen Creek Road in Chandler, is slated for completion in September 2014.

VPP is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) highest program of safety recognition across all United States OSHA organizations. It recognizes employers and workers in private and federal workplaces who have exemplified effective safety and health management systems to achieve injury and illness rates more than 50 percent below the national average.

“The McCarthy Chandler Airport Wastewater Treatment Facility is a great example of a safe working environment,” said Jessie Atencio, assistant director and consultation and training program manager for ADOSH. “Their team should be proud to be the first wastewater treatment facility in the state to be recognized as a VPP site.”

To qualify for VPP status, employers must submit an application to OSHA and undergo an onsite evaluation by a team of safety and health professionals. VPP participants and sites earning the “STAR Site” designation are re-evaluated every three to five years in order to remain in the program. VPP participants are exempt from OSHA programmed inspections while they maintain their VPP status.

“McCarthy’s detailed planning has allowed the project to thrive during the construction and execution of high risk tie-in and bypass activities,” said John Pinkston, Wastewater Facilities Superintendent for the City of Chandler. “Safety is the highest priority for McCarthy. Their safety record is outstanding and results in a safe workplace for City of Chandler employees.”

Currently, 34 Arizona companies are VPP “Stars” (http://www.ica.state.az.us/ADOSH/ADOSH_VPP_Star_List.aspx). McCarthy is one of only three general contractors to receive this safety recognition in Arizona.

About McCarthy Building Companies

McCarthy is the nation’s 8th largest domestic general contractor (Engineering News-Record, May 2013) and has a diverse roster of heavy/civil projects across the country. The Water Services team offersgeneral contracting, construction management, program management and design/build services for wastewater and water treatment projects in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. The team also covers construction projects in the mining, industrial, and alternative and traditional energymarkets. The McCarthy Southwest Division is based in Phoenix. McCarthy also has offices in Newport Beach, San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Las Vegas; Albuquerque; Dallas and Houston, Texas; St. Louis and Atlanta.  McCarthy is 100 percent employee-owned.  More information about the company is available at www.mccarthy.com