Most people today use some form of technology—whether for computing, banking, social media, gaming, or plain emailing—contributing to an increasing amount of information that must be stored safely and securely. The explosion in data storage demand has required companies that offer data management and storage services to provide increased capacity for the safe and seamless management, storage, and accessibility of data processors. Much of the demand for data management and storage is currently driven by artificial intelligence, and the need for physical data center facilities equipped with adequate capacity for maintaining, storing, and suitably powering technology and equipment is rising. Data centers, technology hubs designed to supply power, cooling, connectivity, and shelter for computer equipment and server cabinets, are positioned for rapid growth in today’s business climate. To meet this need, data centers are being developed at a rapid pace that is leading to new and technology-changing building construction methods and capacities—for example, pre-manufactured building components, electrical distribution power equipment and systems, and electrical conduit racks to support electrical power building installations.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES The ability to procure and supply power to a facility is a leading factor companies consider when choosing a new location for data center development. In many cases, geographic sites in the most desirable locations no longer have the capacity to provide sufficient power for all the facilities planned for development within certain regions. This is driving data center users and owner-developers to seek new locations throughout the U.S.—and the world—to set up operations. New data center locations not only require the expansion of the local power supply (for example, a December 2024 report on data centers by the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission projected an increase in energy demand in the state of more than 150 percent over the next five years) but may also pose environmental concerns that require mitigation—for example, by protecting water sources, insects, and animal species, and, in some cases, establishing historic land designations and protected markers.

Air permitting is also a challenge as most data centers have diesel-powered generators installed to support uptime requirements, or operational continuity to prevent disabling the facility, for backup purposes. Cities that struggle to maintain suitable air quality are promulgating more stringent air-permitting requirements that data center operators must consider when planning to build a new location. Operators can expect that emission limits will likely decrease over time and should ensure that these requirements are accounted for when determining worst-case scenarios with respect to equipment run times.

The use of generators creates the potential for diesel spills during filling and operation, or from a catastrophic event. Owners of data centers with diesel-powered generators must have contingency plans and materials in place to respond to a spill event, should one occur. These plans should address how to prevent any spills from entering waterways, being absorbed into nearby soils, or coming into contact with nearby equipment. Operators must be trained on these measures to hasten response to diesel spill events.

CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT Once power requirements are met and any environmental considerations mitigated, construction of a new data center facility can commence. Due to the rapid pace of construction and development, the labor market for experienced trade workers is becoming constrained while workers who are new to these trades are being pressed to develop their skills at an accelerated rate. For safety professionals, ensuring the safety and well-being of a large workforce that feels pressured to move as fast as possible remains a tremendous challenge. Occupational and environmental health and safety professionals can help construction and development companies maintain focus on the safe execution of tasks. This focus on safety must be reinforced by end users and owner-operator requirements to ensure that health and safety is not compromised during the development of the new facilities, regardless of the pace of construction.

DATA CENTER OPERATIONS The operation of data centers has evolved from workers managing a closet to managing several thousand square feet of floor space, and now workers may manage hundreds of thousands of square feet within a building, sometimes on multi-building campuses. Data center buildings that house equipment require adequate air management and quality, cooling, heating, and power connectivity to support uptime. This means that the data center workforce must have a more diversified skill set than that of many traditional facility operators. For example, IT infrastructure, which was managed independently in the past, is now needed to support data center operations. Consequently, data center owners need workers who can support building equipment and systems as well as help customers and owners connect equipment and servers as required.

On a typical day, a data center worker might be asked to go from performing maintenance on a boiler unit to ensuring that wiring is properly connected to the appropriate server rack. This is just one example of the range of tasks in which operators in today’s market must be proficient.

A RANGE OF HAZARDS The demands of this industry require workers to be cross-trained to understand the variety of hazards present in data centers and how to mitigate them. Data center operators face many potential health concerns, including electrical and arc flash hazards, noise, and fall hazards.

Electrical safety. Much focus is placed on electrical safety among all operators and support staff working in data center operations. Because entire facilities are centered around the need for an adequate power supply to support the availability of electricity within server rooms, all data center operators must understand and respect electricity and its hazards. Many data centers receive power that must be converted to 480-volt three-phase power and then further stepped down to 208V or 120V for use within the facility, depending on the systems being powered. Three-phase power provides three separate electrical lines of alternating current pathways of 120 volts each to support even power supply from the supply source to the systems being supported. Regardless of the power or potential, exposure to any voltage or amperage of electricity is a safety concern for operators, who must be aware of potential contact hazards at all times within a data center.

Arc flash. An arc flash is a sudden explosion of energy that occurs when electrical current is not contained within its intended pathway and passes through the air instead. Arc flash is often caused by a failure in the insulator of an electrical component, which allows the fault to travel through the air, leading to a flash or burst of energy. An arc flash generates extreme temperatures that can exceed 30,000 F.

To ensure that data center operators understand the seriousness of potential arc flash events, all workers receive extensive training on the possibility of arc flash occurring during certain work tasks. In addition, controls are established and documented within the methods of procedure, which are guidelines that are often prepared for maintenance or test processes required on data center equipment. Processes that require the startup or shutdown of energized equipment require operators to don suitable personal protective equipment and arc-flash-resistant clothing. Certain situations require workers to use up to a 40-caliber, fully encapsulating suit.