tech
Broken Bones, Lawsuits, and NDAs: Inside the Worker Safety Concerns at Stargate Data Center
Daniel Gonzalez woke up early on March 14 in Abilene, Texas to drop off a concrete box full of electrical components at one of the city’s two Stargate data centers. The 49-year-old truck driver says that when he pulled up to the site that Saturday morning, he was told by another worker that it was understaffed, the employees in a rush. “They were cutting corners,” Gonzalez says.
TL;DR
- Multiple workers at the Stargate data centers in Abilene, Texas, have reported serious injuries and safety concerns.
- Incidents include concussions, fractured limbs, and being crushed by equipment, leading to lawsuits against contractors.
- Workers allege understaffing, rushed conditions, lack of communication, and violations of safety regulations.
- A TIME investigation, using OSHA filings and interviews, suggests safety issues are linked to the rapid construction of AI infrastructure.
- Companies involved generally deny systemic safety problems, with some claiming their sites are safer than industry averages, though data supporting these claims is questioned.
- Legal filings and 911 call logs reveal a pattern of emergency responses at the sites for various incidents, including a fatality.
- NDAs are common, making it difficult to compare incident rates to industry norms.
- Some workers report poor sanitary conditions and lack of basic amenities like cold drinking water and fans in extreme heat.