Safety First: Our Approach to Health, Safety & Quality on Data Centre Sites
When it comes to data-centre construction, success is often measured in megawatts delivered, cubic metres of earth moved, or square metres of concrete poured. But at Salboheds Bygg & Anläggning AB, we believe the most important metric of all is simpler: everyone goes home safe, every day.
As one of Sweden’s leading groundwork contractors for hyperscale data centres, we operate in environments where precision, coordination, and safety are inseparable. Heavy machinery, high-voltage installations, and multi-contractor interfaces all come together on fast-paced, high-pressure sites. Without an uncompromising safety culture, even minor lapses can have serious consequences — for people, schedules, and reputations.
That’s why safety isn’t just a priority at Salboheds — it’s a core value. It defines how we plan, build, and deliver. It shapes our training, our culture, and our relationships with clients and partners. And it’s the reason leading data-centre developers across the Nordics trust Salboheds to handle some of the most complex groundwork programmes in the industry.
1. Safety Is More Than Compliance — It’s Our Culture
In construction, safety is sometimes viewed as a checklist — a compliance exercise to satisfy regulations and client audits. At Salboheds, it’s far more fundamental. Safety is the foundation of quality, productivity, and trust.
Our culture is built on three simple principles:
- Every person matters. From our operators and site managers to our subcontractors and visitors, every individual’s wellbeing is paramount.
- Every risk can be managed. We believe that accidents are preventable through planning, awareness, and accountability.
- Every voice counts. Anyone on site — regardless of role or seniority — has the right and responsibility to stop work if they see a hazard.
This culture is reinforced daily through proactive communication, visible leadership, and continuous improvement. Safety isn’t a department; it’s part of how every Salboheds team operates.
2. Building a Safety-First Workforce
Delivering large-scale data-centre projects requires more than technical skill. It demands discipline, awareness, and shared responsibility. That’s why our investment in people begins long before they step onto site.
Comprehensive Training
All Salboheds employees and subcontractors undergo mandatory safety inductions tailored to the data-centre environment. This includes:
- Site-specific HSE briefings and risk identification.
- Machine operation safety and permit-to-work procedures.
- Working around live utilities and confined-space awareness.
- Emergency response, evacuation, and first-aid protocols.
Ongoing refresher courses ensure that skills remain current and aligned with both Swedish Work Environment Authority standards and client-specific safety frameworks.
Leadership by Example
Our site managers and foremen set the tone. They lead daily safety walks, toolbox talks, and equipment inspections — making safety visible and constant. Leadership participation demonstrates that every safety rule has executive-level backing.
Subcontractor Integration
Given the size and complexity of hyperscale projects, subcontractor engagement is crucial. We require all partners to meet Salboheds’ HSE standards and actively participate in site safety management. Coordination meetings, shared reporting tools, and transparent communication create a unified safety culture across every trade.
3. Planning for Safety from the Ground Up
Safety begins long before ground is broken. Each Salboheds project starts with a detailed Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Plan, customised for the specific site, scope, and client requirements.
Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS)
Every activity — from excavation and backfilling to duct installation and concrete pouring — is assessed for risk. Mitigations are designed collaboratively between site management, safety officers, and the workforce.
We follow a structured process:
- Identify hazards.
- Assess risk probability and severity.
- Implement preventive measures.
- Monitor effectiveness.
- Review and improve.
This process ensures safety is integrated into design, planning, and execution, not added as an afterthought.
Permit-to-Work System
For high-risk activities such as hot works, confined-space entry, or live utility interface, Salboheds enforces a strict permit-to-work system. No task proceeds without proper authorisation, inspection, and supervision.
Traffic and Equipment Safety
With multiple machines operating simultaneously on large data-centre sites, vehicle movement is one of the highest risks. We mitigate this through:
- Segregated pedestrian and plant zones.
- GPS-guided machinery for accuracy and reduced exposure.
- Spotters and radio communication to prevent collisions.
- Regular maintenance and daily equipment checks.
4. Coordination with Other Trades
Data-centre projects involve a high level of simultaneous work between civil, mechanical, and electrical contractors. Coordination is therefore essential not only for efficiency, but for safety.
Salboheds acts as a central interface between trades, implementing structured coordination protocols such as:
- Daily coordination meetings — to align activities and identify shared risks.
- Shared safety briefings — ensuring all teams understand overlapping operations.
- Clash detection and 3D BIM modelling — to identify physical conflicts between trenching, ducts, and building works before they occur.
- Real-time reporting systems — for incident and near-miss communication across all stakeholders.
By creating a unified HSE ecosystem, we help every partner on site operate safely within their scope without interfering with others — a key factor in maintaining productivity and trust on complex hyperscale projects.
5. Monitoring, Inspection & Continuous Improvement
Safety performance is measured in more than reports — it’s reflected in daily behaviour and visible outcomes. At Salboheds, we use a combination of proactive and reactive monitoring to ensure continuous improvement.
Inspections and Audits
Our internal HSE team conducts scheduled and surprise inspections, reviewing compliance with PPE, traffic management, lifting operations, and housekeeping. Findings are discussed openly and acted on immediately.
Reporting and Near-Miss Culture
We encourage open reporting of hazards and near-misses. Rather than blame, we focus on learning. Every near-miss is a lesson that helps prevent future incidents.
Over the past three years, Salboheds has seen a 40% reduction in recorded near-misses thanks to early reporting and proactive mitigation.
Performance Metrics
We track and report key safety indicators including:
- Total Recordable Incident Frequency (TRIF)
- Lost-Time Injury Frequency (LTIF)
- Near-miss reports per 1,000 hours
- Safety observation close-out rate
Across multiple hyperscale projects, we have maintained over 250,000 consecutive accident-free work hours, a testament to our strong safety systems and engaged workforce.
6. Integrating Quality into the Safety Framework
Safety and quality are two sides of the same coin. A site that is safe to work on is a site that produces consistent, high-quality outcomes.
Salboheds’ Quality Management System (QMS) operates alongside our HSE framework, ensuring that every process — from excavation tolerances to concrete testing — meets or exceeds specification.
Quality Controls in Civil Works
- Real-time GPS data verification for excavation and fill.
- Compaction testing and documentation.
- Concrete strength verification and curing management.
- Visual inspections and photographic records for every hand-over area.
Quality assurance and safety checks are coordinated daily. Our supervisors use digital tools to record inspection data, allowing clients to verify progress and compliance instantly.
By integrating safety, environment, and quality into a single management approach, we achieve consistency across all stages — reducing rework, delays, and waste.
7. Client Benefits: Why Safety Protects Your Schedule and Reputation
For clients — especially hyperscale developers, investors, and EPC contractors — partnering with a safety-driven company like Salboheds delivers benefits that extend far beyond compliance.
1. Fewer Delays
Safe sites are efficient sites. Clear protocols, coordinated work zones, and trained teams mean fewer stoppages, incidents, and disruptions. Every near-miss prevented saves time and money.
2. Better Compliance
Our rigorous documentation and transparent reporting make it easier for clients to meet internal audit and ESG requirements. Salboheds’ compliance record is consistently praised during external reviews by major hyperscale clients.
3. Enhanced Reputation
Data-centre clients operate in a global spotlight. A partner’s safety performance reflects directly on the developer’s brand and commitment to social responsibility. Working with a contractor known for high safety standards enhances credibility and stakeholder confidence.
4. Lower Lifecycle Risk
Properly executed groundworks minimise long-term operational risks — from settlement and drainage issues to infrastructure fatigue. Safety and quality at the start of construction mean reliability for decades.
8. Safety Innovation: Digital Tools & Real-Time Insight
As data-centre projects grow in complexity, traditional paper-based safety systems are no longer enough. Salboheds is embracing digital innovation to enhance safety oversight and accountability.
Drone and 3D Mapping
We use drones to capture daily progress and verify site conditions. These visual records support safety planning by identifying access routes, excavation boundaries, and high-risk zones.
Digital Permitting & Inspections
Our teams utilise mobile apps for permit-to-work, inspection checklists, and incident reporting. This ensures immediate communication and documentation across all stakeholders.
Machine Control Systems
GPS-guided equipment reduces the need for manual survey work in hazardous zones, minimising human exposure near moving machinery.
Data-Driven Learning
By analysing safety data across multiple projects, we identify recurring trends and implement proactive measures — whether improving traffic layouts or retraining specific operations teams.
9. Partnerships Built on Trust and Transparency
Salboheds’ clients — including major hyperscalers and general contractors — rely on our consistency and openness. Safety performance is not just an internal measure; it’s a partnership benchmark.
We hold joint safety walks with client representatives, share weekly dashboards, and collaborate on lessons learned. This transparency strengthens trust and ensures that both client and contractor are aligned on safety goals.
When issues arise, we address them immediately, focusing on solutions rather than blame. This proactive mindset is one of the reasons our teams are invited back project after project.
10. Case Snapshot: Safety in Action
On a recent hyperscale data-centre project in central Sweden, Salboheds managed a workforce of more than 120 personnel across multiple disciplines.
Through daily coordination, strict access control, and integrated traffic management, we achieved:
- 0 lost-time injuries throughout the 14-month delivery period.
- Over 100,000 safe working hours logged.
- High client satisfaction on safety and quality audits (>95% compliance rating).
Our client later noted that the proactive communication between Salboheds, MEP teams, and logistics contractors “set a new benchmark for collaboration and safety culture.”
11. The Human Side of Safety
Behind every statistic is a person — a colleague, a friend, a family member. That’s why safety at Salboheds isn’t just procedural; it’s personal.
We promote mental health awareness, ergonomic training, and wellbeing initiatives on our sites. Our safety officers aren’t just inspectors; they’re mentors and support figures.
We believe in celebrating safety successes, not only enforcing rules. Monthly recognition programmes highlight individuals who exemplify safe behaviour, fostering pride and motivation.
12. The Salboheds Commitment
Our safety vision is simple:
Zero accidents. Zero harm. 100% accountability.
This isn’t an aspiration — it’s an ongoing pursuit. Every project, every team, and every day is an opportunity to improve.
At Salboheds Bygg & Anläggning, we will continue investing in people, systems, and technology to raise safety and quality standards across the Nordic data-centre industry.
Because in the end, great infrastructure isn’t built by machines or schedules — it’s built by people. And people deserve to work safely, proudly, and confidently.
13. Conclusion: Building Safely Is Building Better
Safety isn’t a cost. It’s an investment — in people, in performance, and in long-term client success.
For data-centre developers, the benefits are clear: fewer disruptions, faster delivery, better quality, and stronger stakeholder confidence. For Salboheds, it’s also a matter of identity. Safety defines who we are and how we work.
With decades of civil engineering experience, over 250 MW of data-centre groundwork delivered, and a proven zero-harm philosophy, Salboheds Bygg & Anläggning AB remains committed to setting the benchmark for safety, health, and quality in the Nordic construction landscape.
Ready to Build Safely?
Let’s make your next data-centre project a model of performance, precision, and safety.
Contact the Salboheds team to learn how we can deliver — safely — from the ground up.