Labor management becomes an even greater challenge in data center projects than in almost any other commercial construction. Crews are bigger, schedules are shortened, sites are secured, and labor is scarce in the data center construction industry, so every skilled worker is valuable. Meanwhile, data center construction safety is being closely monitored, and owners are demanding that the subcontractors be able to document, with proof, who was on site, what training they’ve had, and how the job was completed safely.

When it comes to labor management, it’s the same for all of the subcontractors working on a data center project, and it’s three sets of records: accurate timesheets, with who worked where and when; records of site access, with everyone cleared, badged, and oriented; and records of safety, with hazards planned, communicated, and signed off. Here’s what each entails, what owners and general contractors (GCs) usually request, and how to maintain those records without drowning your team in paperwork.

Why Labor Management Is Harder on Data Center Projects

The Data Center Construction Labor Shortage

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) estimates that the construction industry will need to recruit an estimated 349,000 new workers by 2026, a net increase. ABC also points to growing demand for electricians due to the rapid growth in data center construction. The pipeline is no better: The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) estimates that about 41% of the current construction workforce will retire by 2031.

The squeeze is evident for subcontractors, who see crews tighten, overtime become more common, traveling workers become more frequent, and pressure to make each hour count. It is also present at prequalification. According to ABC Ohio Valley, data center buyers now want to know what contractors are doing about their staffing plans, training, and more before offering them a job.

More Workers on Site at Once

ABC Ohio Valley reports that a hyperscale site can have anywhere from 500 to over 1,000 data center construction workers on-site at peak times. Trades are also compressed, with trades working at the same time in the same areas, and exposures like falls and electrical work occurring simultaneously. In a smaller area, more people are around, so there are more opportunities for something to go wrong and a greater need for clear records.

Security-Controlled Sites

Data center owners go to great lengths to protect their data centers, even while they’re being built. People who work for hyperscale operators often have to undergo background checks, NDAs, and secure badging. Slow paperwork costs labor days, as each new worker must complete those steps to get to work.

Owner Scrutiny of Safety Records

Data center owners want safety backed up in documents, not just practiced. The absence of verifiable orientation records for all workers is, “table stakes,” according to ABC Ohio Valley, and missing contractual safety requirements can result in liquidated damages. Owners also consider the contractor’s experience modification rate (EMR) and OSHA recordables.

Timesheets: Proving Who Worked Where and When

Payroll isn’t the only thing that relies on accurate timesheets. They support time-and-materials billing and change orders on a data center job, prove a crew was on site when the GC says they were, and provide real productivity data to the estimator for the next job. Also, their holding is necessary if hours are ever in doubt.

What Data Center Timesheets Need to Capture

A reliable timesheet for a data center project should record:

• Worker: who clocked in, tied to their individual profile and credentials
• Project and area: the site, building or data hall they were working in
• Clock-in and clock-out times: captured at the time, not reconstructed at the end of the week
• Location at clock-in and clock-out: evidence the worker was actually on site
• Notes on lost time: delays from escorts, badging, stand-downs, weather or access restrictions
• Supervisor review: confirmation that the hours are correct before they go to payroll or billing

If a project carries prevailing wage requirements or a project labor agreement, check that your timesheet exports contain the detail your certified payroll process needs.

How Geofenced Timesheets Work

A geofence is a virtual boundary drawn around a job site. When a worker clocks in or out on a mobile app, the app checks whether they are inside that boundary. Most geofencing tools offer two approaches:

• Soft warning: workers can clock in from anywhere, but the app flags any clock-in or clock-out outside the boundary on the timesheet for a manager to review.
• Hard block: workers can’t clock in or out unless they are inside the boundary, which removes off-site clock-ins entirely.

Geofencing is particularly beneficial for large data center campuses, where crews can move from one building to another or from one project to another in the same week. It also eliminates the need for paper sign-in sheets and group conversation messages with a time-stamped record that is far more difficult to challenge.

Crews are interested in location privacy; be sure to research how it is handled by the app. Some timesheet systems only log where workers clock in and out, not their movements throughout the day.

Using Time Data for Change Orders and Bids

If a subcontractor had more work in a particular area or task than was originally priced, it could be documented using time records of the additional work, such as sealing penetrations by MEP trades. Real installation rates on data center work can be shown over a number of projects; the next bid will be more accurate in a market where labor is in short supply and high-cost.

Site Access: Badging, Background Checks and Orientation

Owner Security Requirements

Any worker may need to undergo the owner’s background check, sign any necessary NDAs before beginning work on the data center site, and then receive a badge. Certain rooms, such as energized electrical rooms, data halls, etc., that are already turned over to the owner may require escorts or additional authorization. Some locations also prohibit cameras and personal devices; determine how work photos and records will be taken before mobilization.

Site Orientation Records

Each worker is expected to have attended a site-specific safety orientation prior to being placed on site, and the GC/owner will require evidence of this. ABC Ohio Valley states that all workforce members must have verifiable orientation records (which may be in various languages) and that a site-specific safety plan must be pre-approved for mobilization. Maintain documentation of the orientation date for workers completed, the orientation version, and the orientation administrator.

Tracking Worker Credentials

A key concern for data center GCs is ensuring employees have the certifications and training their jobs require. That can be 10- or 30-hour OSHA certification, training on aerial and scissor lifts, manufacturer’s training for installing firestops, and any site-specific certifications. Keep a record of each credential and its expiration date, so no one comes into the badge office with an expired badge.

Phased Sites and Restricted Areas

Sometimes data centers are built and launched in phases, with some areas being enabled to go live while other areas are being constructed. Access may vary from week to week because of energizing or handing over of data halls. A crew schedule and/or current site assignments ensure the right personnel are in the right locations with the right permissions.

Data Center Construction Safety: The Records Owners Expect

Common Hazards on Data Center Sites

Data center sites combine many of construction’s most serious hazards in one place:

• Falls: falls, slips and trips killed 370 of the 1,032 construction and extraction workers who died on the job in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On data centers, fall exposure comes from steel erection, roofing, lifts and work above ceilings.
• Electrical: crews energizing switchgear and UPS systems near other trades create shock and arc flash risk if the status of equipment is misjudged.
• Silica: drilling and coring concrete for penetrations creates respirable crystalline silica, which is covered by OSHA’s construction silica standard (29 CFR 1926.1153), including a written exposure control plan.
• Struck-by and congestion: heavy equipment such as chillers and generators moves through busy sites.
• Hazardous materials: sealants, fuels and solvents need accessible safety data sheets and proper labeling.

Daily Pre-Task Plans and JHAs

Data center owners expect daily pre-task plans (PTPs) or job hazard analyses (JHAs) to be completed before work starts. ABC Ohio Valley describes owners requiring PTPs or JHAs to be submitted and time-stamped before work begins, and recommends redoing them when conditions change. Paper forms left in a site trailer rarely meet that standard.

Toolbox Talks and Signed Safety Documents

Toolbox talks, safety plans, risk assessments and method documents only protect a subcontractor if there’s proof every worker received and acknowledged them. That means a signature from each worker, a date, and a way to show which workers haven’t signed yet. When the GC or owner asks, you should be able to produce the full sign-off trail for any document in minutes.

Incident Reporting and OSHA Records

Incidents and near misses need to be reported quickly and recorded accurately, both for the GC and for your OSHA 300 log where required. Good incident records protect your EMR over time, and EMR is one of the numbers data center owners check when choosing contractors.

A Labor and Safety Checklist for Data Center Subcontractors

Before Mobilization

• Confirm the owner’s background check, NDA and badging requirements, and allow time for them in the schedule
• Submit your site-specific safety plan for approval
• Check every worker’s credentials and expiration dates
• Agree on how timesheets, photos and safety records will be captured and shared
• Set up geofences for each site or building

Every Day

• Clock in and out on a geofenced timesheet
• Complete and time-stamp the PTP or JHA before work starts
• Record any lost time from access, escorts or stand-downs

Every Week

• Hold toolbox talks and collect signatures from every worker
• Review and approve timesheets before payroll and billing
• Check for unsigned safety documents and expiring credentials

At Closeout

• Export timesheets, signed safety documents and incident records for the GC
• Review labor data against the original estimate to improve your next bid

Using Software to Manage Labor on Data Center Projects

Spreadsheets, paper sign-in sheets and group chats struggle on data center projects, where crews are large, sites are secure and owners want records on demand. Data center construction safety software and workforce tools solve that by putting timesheets, schedules and signed documents in one place. When comparing options, look for:

• Geofenced timesheets with a choice of soft warnings or hard blocks
• Digital document signing with real-time status and a full signature trail
• Automatic assignment of documents to workers when they join a project
• Crew scheduling that shows who is working where
• Exports for payroll, client billing and GC reporting
• Mobile access that works for field crews on any site

How Onetrace Supports Labor Management on Data Center Projects

Onetrace is construction management software built for specialist subcontractors, including firestop and passive fire contractors. Its workforce tools cover two areas data center owners scrutinize closely: time and safety records.

Geofenced Timesheets

Installers clock in and out from the Onetrace mobile app, either from a scheduled visit or directly against a project. Admins can switch on geofencing across all projects with a default radius of 100 meters (about 330 feet) and adjust the radius for each site. They can choose between a soft warning, which flags off-site clock-ins on the timesheet for review, and a hard block, which stops workers from clocking in, clocking out or switching sites outside the boundary. Onetrace captures a location snapshot only at clock-in and clock-out, not throughout the day. Managers can see where each person clocked in on a map, view hours by day, week or month, and export timesheets for payroll and client billing.

Signed Safety Documents

Onetrace Signed Docs lets subcontractors upload safety documents, such as risk assessments and toolbox talks, once and assign them to multiple projects. Documents are automatically assigned to workers as soon as they’re added to a job, and workers get a notification when something needs signing. Managers see in real time who has not seen, seen, or signed each document. When the GC or owner asks for proof, you can export documents and share them with complete signature trails attached.

Scheduling

The OneTrace Planner schedules visits by project or by worker, and scheduled work appears in each installer’s app with maps and directions, so crews know where they need to be.

UK passive fire contractor Elite Fire Stop runs around 30 live projects with 80 installers recording work in Onetrace. Moving away from manual data entry eliminated a full-time administrative role. Onetrace is also ISO 27001 certified, which helps when data center owners ask how subcontractors protect project information.

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FAQ

Why Is There a Labor Shortage in Data Center Construction?

Data center construction is growing far faster than the skilled trades workforce. ABC estimates the construction industry needs about 349,000 net new workers in 2026 and notes that demand for electricians has surged because of data center construction. At the same time, NCCER projects that about 41% of the current construction workforce will retire by 2031.

What Safety Records Do Data Center Owners Require From Subcontractors?

Owners and GCs typically expect a pre-approved site-specific safety plan, orientation records for every worker, daily pre-task plans or JHAs, signed toolbox talks, credential records, incident and near-miss reports, and the contractor’s EMR and OSHA recordables. Exact requirements are set in each project’s contract and safety program.

What Is a Geofenced Timesheet?

A geofenced timesheet checks whether a worker is inside a virtual boundary around the job site when they clock in or out. Depending on the settings, it either flags clock-ins outside the boundary for review or blocks them entirely.

Do Geofenced Timesheets Track Workers All Day?

Not necessarily. Some tools, including Onetrace, record a worker’s location only at the moment they clock in and clock out, rather than tracking them continuously. Check how any tool handles location data before rolling it out to crews.

What Is the Most Common Cause of Construction Deaths?

Falls, slips and trips are the leading cause. In 2024, they accounted for 370 of the 1,032 deaths among construction and extraction workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

How Do Subcontractors Prove Workers Completed Site Orientation?

Keep a record for each worker showing the date of orientation, the version delivered, who delivered it and the worker’s signature. Digital sign-off tools make it easy to show the GC or owner which workers have completed orientation and which haven’t.