McCarthy Prepares to Complete Final Transition to Helmets for All Employees and Trade Partners
On July 1, 2023, McCarthy will begin requiring all trade partners to wear helmets.
McCarthy Holdings, Inc., one of the nation’s largest 100 percent employee-owned construction companies and the nation’s safest commercial builders, is preparing to complete the transition from standard hard hats to helmets for all trade partners on the firm’s construction sites. This comes as an extension to McCarthy’s 2022 transition to helmets for its more than 6,000 salaried and craft employees. This proactive decision is expected to significantly reduce the impact and lessen the frequency of future injuries and accidents.
On July 1, 2023, McCarthy will begin requiring all trade partners to wear helmets.
Traumatic brain injuries are responsible for 25 percent of all construction fatalities, and account for many life-altering injuries. Safety helmets offer superior head protection for construction workers, providing protection from not only a direct impact to the head, but also a glancing blow to the front, back, and sides of the head. In addition, safety helmets feature an integral chinstrap to secure the head protection in the event of impact, a fall, or while leaning over or looking up. Because of this, helmets have been proven to help prevent or significantly reduce the severity of a potential injury.
“This change to helmets is one that many in the construction industry are only beginning to adopt,” said McCarthy vice president, national safety, Pat Devero. “We want to provide everyone working on our jobsites with the highest level of protection for the most important part of their body.”
In a recent survey of McCarthy craft professionals, the firm’s commitment and approach to safety was consistently identified as one of the top reasons why craft prefer to work on a McCarthy project. Throughout this transition, McCarthy gathered feedback from these craft professionals to help determine the models and types of helmets to be provided.
“It’s critical to our success that the end user of our personal protective equipment is engaged in the considerations and decisions regarding that equipment,” Devero said. “We fully understand that safety is the most important thing we do every day. That commitment never changes.”
About McCarthy
McCarthy Holdings, Inc. is the oldest privately held national construction company in the country – with nearly 160 years spent collaborating with partners to solve complex building challenges on behalf of its clients. McCarthy Holdings, Inc. is comprised of McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. and Castle Contracting. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work, McCarthy is ranked the 19th largest domestic builder (Engineering News-Record, May 2022). Because of its commitment to safety, McCarthy received the 2022 Procore Excellence in Safety award. With approximately 6,000 salaried employees and craft professionals, the firm has offices in St. Louis; Atlanta; Collinsville, Ill.; Kansas City, Kan.; Omaha, Neb.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Denver; Austin, Channelview, Dallas and Houston, Texas; and San Diego, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento, Calif. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned.
