Data centre projects strain Finland’s workplace safety oversight

Finland’s planned data centre projects are increasing pressure on workplace safety inspectors, even as their funding is being cut, Yle reports. Construction sites may employ thousands of workers, and the authority says it will inspect all large data centre projects.

In the coming years, Finland is likely to see several data and industrial projects worth billions of euros. The workplace safety authority oversees jobsite safety and compliance with laws and employment contracts.

More than 20 inspections have been carried out over the past two years at Google’s data centre expansion in Hamina and Microsoft’s projects in Espoo, Kirkkonummi and Vihti. Yle has previously reported workplace safety problems at the Hamina project, including companies failing to meet working-time and overtime obligations.

Markku Rautio, head of the occupational safety department at the Permit and Supervisory Agency, said the authority had the capacity to oversee the sites, but was concerned about how many contractors and potential problems it might encounter.

Next year, the department’s funding will be cut by 500,000 euros as part of government savings. Its annual budget is about 29 million euros. The cuts will also affect staff who carry out inspections; if they fell entirely on inspections, nearly 1,000 fewer would be conducted.

Finland carried out fewer than 20,000 workplace safety inspections last year, nearly 5,000 fewer than in 2023. The agency has made more use of other contact with companies, including online meetings, but says these do not replace inspections at workplaces.

A nationwide oversight model took effect at the start of this year, replacing five regional areas with one. Rautio said the change could help the agency concentrate resources on large projects, where multiple activities need to be coordinated. Inspectors will also focus on foreign workers and jobsite safety risks arising from overlapping stages of construction.