PHOENIX, AZ, May 14, 2014 -- Through the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), the City of Chandler Airport Water Reclamation Facility has been recognized as a "STAR Site" by the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) Consultation Department.
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 is slated for completion in September 2014.
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.
VPP is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) highest program of safety recognition across all U.S. 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 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.
See also: "McCarthy Building Companies completes water reclamation facility expansion in Arizona"
About McCarthy Building Companies
McCarthy is the nation's eighth largest domestic general contractor 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. For more information, visit www.mccarthy.com.
About ADOSH
Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health operates under an approved plan with the U.S. Department of Labor to retain jurisdiction over occupational safety and health issues within Arizona, excluding mining operations, Indian Reservations, and federal employees. This jurisdiction encompasses approximately 2.1 million employees and 130,000 public and private establishments. For more information, viusit http://www.ica.state.az.us/.
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