DALLAS, TX — A recipient of the women’s safety harness grant from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and Autodesk, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. (McCarthy) is piloting a new women’s safety harness design across it’s Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta-area project sites. The safety harness grant was created by AGC with Autodesk to help meet the need for properly fitting personal protective equipment (PPE) for women working in the construction industry, and to encourage more participation by women in the industry.

McCarthy was selected as one of the recipients of the safety harness grant because of its commitment to continuing to develop and grow the construction industry labor force. The construction company distributed harnesses to 27 women workers who work at various jobsites.

“As a company that self-performs concrete and other common trades on our projects, McCarthy realizes the need to be intentional about recruiting and developing talent from across our jobsites and in the communities where we work,” said Joe Jouvenal, Regional President for McCarthy’s Southern Region operations. “Outfitting our female workers with PPE that is made specifically for them not only keeps them safer at work, but also complements our efforts to provide an inclusive environment where all of our workers feel like we’re here to help them be successful.”

The women who received harnesses agreed that this is a positive step toward being more inclusive in an industry that is still mostly male-dominated.

“Having equipment specially made for women is excellent and should be the standard for the construction industry,” said Ana Popp, McCarthy Senior Project Engineer. “If equipment and gear doesn’t fit correctly, then it will not function correctly. Being safe at work means having access to the correct equipment for everyone at all times.”

“I think that receiving equipment and gear specifically made for women is definitely a game-changer,” said Liz Roach, McCarthy Senior Project Engineer. “Receiving equipment that actually fits, instead of just ‘making it work’ with gear that was made for totally different body types and heights, is such a good feeling. It makes you feel included and important to the industry, which we are.”

The harness is very lightweight, easy to adjust, comfortable to wear, and the design of the fit is specific to women.

“The importance of accommodating the unique safety needs of women cannot be understated, and the large number of grant applications reflects an industry recognizing the value of women’s contributions to the industry,” said Allison Masci, Manager of the grant program on behalf of Autodesk. “We applaud McCarthy for taking a leading role in creating a safer work environment for women, which we believe will encourage more women to join the workforce.”