Balancing Speed and Safety: Four Hyperscaler Lessons for Improving Health and Safety
Data centres present a unique set of health and safety hazards – they’re high-tech and high-risk environments. Operators have to consider a range of hazards to ensure employees are free from harm, such as noise exposure, heat stress, electrical safety, and heavy lifting. Operators are under increasing pressure from governments and regulators to measure and improve health and safety. The UK is a global leader in health and safety, so data centres are subject to stringent standards.
Failure to address health and safety concerns could at best result in operational delays or financial penalties, but at worst lead to serious harm. Hyperscalers have significantly improved health and safety practices through planning, training and coordination. Operators and general contractors need to follow in their footsteps to prioritise health and safety to ensure work on sites proceeds seamlessly and safely.
Prioritising speed without sacrificing safety
Data centre growth has been steadily building alongside digital adoption, but AI is catapulting demand to a new level – the UK recently secured a combined investment of £6.3 billion from four American tech companies for UK AI data centres. This demand means operators will be pushed to meet faster timelines when delivering new projects. The complexity and rapid expansion of data centres will contribute to ongoing safety challenges. The time schedules involved for building large facilities create unnecessary risk, especially toward the end of a project when some contractors may be running late, and feeling the pressure to finish quickly. When time is of the essence, the balance between safety and speed is of the utmost importance.
To negate this risk, operators and construction teams must follow best practices and not take unnecessary risks. This requires a full process that not only meets existing and upcoming standards but evolves to continuously drive safety standards forward.
The labour skills gap is also exacerbating the problem, but enhanced training programmes, apprenticeships and collaboration between educational institutions can help ensure health and safety is embedded in the workforce from the very beginning.
Lessons from the hyperscalers
By learning from the innovators there are changes operators can make to improve health and safety to meet accelerated data centre construction timelines. Here are four pieces of hyperscaler best practice.
1. Create a holistic view of all health and safety risks
Hyperscalers demand stringent health and safety frameworks, which are essential to manage the risks inherent in building and operating large-scale, complex data centres. The frameworks help to avoid accidents and maintain high productivity by fostering a positive and secure working environment. They are also integral to managing legal compliance and smooth project execution.
Within the planning stages of projects, hyperscalers conduct a comprehensive risk assessment, where all potential hazards are identified. Regular reviews throughout the project lifecycle are also essential to capture and address emerging risks. By creating a holistic view of risk, operators can ensure a safe working environment.
2. Health and safety is a choreographed routine where coordination is key
Large data centre sites often involve multiple teams working simultaneously. But without coordination between these teams comes the risk of manual handling injuries, electrical hazards and fire hazards. These are all exacerbated in confined, insecure and busy spaces, or when teams are working at different heights, which is common in construction sites.
Hyperscalers prioritise coordination, scheduling, and oversight to minimise conflict between teams through meticulous planning and communication. A choreographed approach, where each team understands their role and responsibility, ensures that all potential hazards are systematically addressed, and safety becomes an integral part of daily operations. This ensures risks are addressed in a unified, consistent, and proactive manner, and accountability is spread across an organisation.
3. Prioritise cleanliness rules on site to eliminate hazards
Data centres can become cluttered, which creates serious safety and operational risks. Hyperscalers enforce strict on-site cleanliness rules, ensuring that no obstacles or unmanaged pallets pose safety hazards. Operators must prioritise creating long-term solutions for storing materials and adopt on-site rules to ensure all areas are well organised and free from obstructions.
Dedicated storage areas outside of operational zones can be useful, as well as implementing cable management systems to minimise loose wires and executing hot aisle/cold aisle configurations to ensure cooling pathways are clear. Regular maintenance and inspections should be performed to identify and clear unnecessary items.
4. Demand more documentation and audits from providers
Accurate health and safety documentation, such as risk assessments, emergency plans and incident reports are crucial for ensuring the safety of workers and maintaining operational efficiency. Documentation is not just a legal necessity, but it provides a clear framework for managing site-specific risks, protecting personnel and equipment, and fostering a safety-first culture.
Hyperscalers set a high bar, insisting on detailed documentation that demonstrates external audit compliance as well as any incidents that have occurred. They also prioritise standardisation of procedures and consistent practices. Regular internal audits can also be useful to identify immediate operational risks that can be overlooked in such complex environments. Partners also need to be engaged in this process to ensure they are adhering to the highest industry standards.
Lessons from Hyperscalers for Safer Sites
By learning from hyperscalers, other operators can set an equally high standard for data centre health and safety. By embracing a holistic view of risks and prioritising coordination alongside enforcing documentation and organisation, operators can significantly reduce accidents and ensure smooth project progression. As the demand for data centres grows, regulations will become stricter; companies that embrace hyperscaler-led health and safety practices will be better positioned to meet future compliance standards and avoid accidents and costly delays.
Partners will have a critical role to play in this journey to improved health and safety standards. Their experience working on hyperscale data centre projects means partners bring a wealth of experience, but also a deep understanding of how to stay safe on site. By working with trusted partners, operators can ensure everyone gets home safely, regardless of the size or scope of any given project.
Learn more about Onnec’s commitment to Health & Safety here.
