The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) Consultation department acknowledged McCarthy Building Companies for its accomplishment of acquiring the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) STAR designation at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station as a “STAR Site.”

McCarthy received this significant honor as a result of its safety team collaborating with the Palo Verde project team to establish safety and health management systems standards, which resulted in successfully completing more than 280,000 man-hours on three projects over three years without incident or lost time.

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

“The McCarthy Building Companies underwent a rigorous onsite evaluation by our team,” said Jessie Atencio, assistant director and VPP coordinator of ADOSH. “The Management Safety and Health systems put in place have helped them maintain a remarkably safe workplace, one we are very proud of.”

To qualify, 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 programs. VPP participants are exempt from OSHA programmed inspections while they maintain their VPP status.

To date, McCarthy is only the third general contractor to receive the prominent designation as a VPP Star recipient in the state of Arizona.