Aerial view of a Northern Virginia data center.

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Health & Safety

Proactive EHS Support for Mission-Critical Data Centers

Tight timelines need expert EHS support. We help manage risks and compliance from site selection and planning to commissioning and facility closure.

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Your data center lifecycle, protected at every phase

Our EHS services support you through planning, design, construction, or retirement, to ensure safer infrastructure and protect your people and assets

Site strategy that identifies constraints early and streamlines the path to permitting and approvals
Construction safety support that manages high –risk startup hazards to protect staff and equipment
Compliance program support to align facilities with industry standards and regulatory requirements
Targeted EHS training that builds workforce competency for hazardous operational tasks
EHS audits that uncover risks early and drive corrective action to reduce incident and citation risk

Our Experts

Meet our data center experts

Our Experts

Rich Hubner, Managing Principal, BSI Consulting

Rich Hubner specializes in EHS across various sectors, including pharma.

Our experts

Joseph Castillo, Principal Consultant, specializing in construction safety

Joe has demonstrated experience in construction, risk management, and assisting organizational development and growth.

FAQs

Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about data centers

A data center is a facility that houses computing systems that store, process, or move digital data. These powerhouses keep everyday apps, services, and business operations running, but their scale, power demands, and construction complexity also create unique EHS risks, from high-voltage systems to complex multi-trade construction, that require proactive management throughout the facility’s lifecycle.
EHS support is most effective when engaged early in site selection and planning but can add immediate value at any stage. Many teams bring in EHS support when projects scale quickly, multiple contractors are on-site, or high-risk phases demand specialized expertise.
Project-based EHS support offers flexibility and scalability. Project managers can access experienced EHS professionals when and where they’re needed, without the commitment of a full-time hire. This model is especially effective on construction projects with accelerated timelines or limited budgets.
Downtime during a data center build can force construction crew workers to pause work and delay commissioning milestones. Already strained schedules create pressure that can increase safety risk as workers try to recover lost time. Preventing downtime begins with establishing EHS best practices from day one.
Air, water, stormwater, and land‑use permits are complex and often overlooked. Securing approved permits upfront is critical to keeping timelines on track, identifying environmental risks, and eliminating the pressure that leads to unsafe workarounds. Delays in permit approval can push back entire construction schedules by months, increasing costs and forcing contractors to accelerate sequencing that may compromise safety and quality.
Aggressive schedules, crowded multi-trade work zones, and high-energy systems create conditions where routine tasks carry greater consequences. Confined space entry, elevated work, and heavy-equipment operations become hazardous when activities are tightly sequenced with little margin for error.
All personnel should receive site-specific safety orientations, hazard communication training, and task-specific certifications (e.g., fall protection, lockout/tagout). Subcontractor compliance should be verified before work begins.
Rapid construction or commissioning of new capacity can increase hazards and potential delays. BSI Consulting’s experts draw on specialized industry experience to help teams manage high‑risk phases, improve contractor coordination, and maintain compliance during fast‑moving build cycles. We help replicate EHS success across multiple sites, reducing risk, improving efficiency, and accelerating safe delivery.