Advancing Data Center EHS Construction is a three-day conference on environmental health and safety (EHS) in data center construction and commissioning. It is organized by the Advancing Data Centers division of Hanson Wade Group as part of its Advancing Construction conference series. The event takes place October 26 to 28, 2026, at The Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton in Dallas, Texas.
The organizer expects more than 200 attendees from hyperscalers, colocators, developers, and contractors. The program opens with a pre-conference workshop day on EHS workforce development, followed by two conference days split into two tracks: EHS Construction & Commissioning Leadership Strategy, and EHS Execution During Construction & Commissioning.
Programming Focus
- Workforce development (pre-conference day): managing EHS risk on labour-constrained projects, building data center-specific EHS skills, and creating a long-term talent pipeline.
- Leadership models and accountability across owner/operators, general contractors, and trade contractors.
- Psychosocial risk as a safety discipline, including fatigue, burnout, and workforce churn, plus a workforce health strategy for a remote data center megaproject.
- Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), safety culture, incident investigation, and lessons learned.
- High-risk civil and structural work: excavation, duct banks, underground utilities, steel erection, precast placement, and tiltwall construction.
- Commissioning safety: energized work, electrical isolation, lockout/tagout (LOTO) and arc flash risk, mechanical testing readiness, and EHS integration into commissioning and handover.
- Next-generation infrastructure: EHS controls for liquid cooling and advanced power systems, and AI tools for safety inspections.
- Vendor, manufacturer, and third-party supplier onboarding, EHS performance measurement, and leading indicators.
- Community engagement and site logistics on large data center projects.
Featured Speakers
Hyperscalers, Colocators, and Developers:
- Rachel Neal, Senior Vice President, Safety, Compass Datacenters
- Heather Brinkerhoff, EHS Director, Corscale
- Michael King, Safety Director, Crusoe
- Dan Fegel, EHS Construction Director, Fleet Data Centers
- Nick Sunseri, Construction Safety Director, Keel Infrastructure
- Russell Robinson, Safety Director, Nexus Data Centers
- Erik Groeneveld, EHS Construction Manager, Tesla
General Contractors:
- Erick Holt, Regional Director of Safety, Brasfield & Gorrie
- Allen Martin, Director, Safety, Choate Construction
- Will Southerland, Senior Safety Manager, Choate Construction
- Brian Woessner, President & Project Manager, Duffey Southeast Construction
- John Byrd, Safety Director, Hoffman Construction
- Herb Santos, Mission Critical Safety Leader, Layton Construction
- Ashley Gill, National Director, Sector Safety, McGough
- Christopher Wallitsch, Project EHS Manager, Turner Construction
Trade Partners:
- Jeff Norris, Safety Coordinator, Iron Workers International-IMPACT
- Sean Villard, Vice President of HSE, Quality & Risk, Primoris Renewable Energy
- Michael Tackett, EHS Vice President, Triple Point MEP
- Jennifer Tobin, EHS Executive, Worldwide Mission Critical
Safety Specialists and Technology Leaders:
- Joseph Fagan, Sales Engineer, autoLOTO
- Kris Talynn, President, ConstructingU
- Corey Silverman, Safety Specialist, Highwire
- Robert W. Braun, Director, Safety, Health, and Environmental Training Institute, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
- Dr. Carlos, Medical Director, The Amphibious Group
- Katherine Freeman, Senior Director of Operations, The Amphibious Group
- Zachary Kiehl, Founder & CEO, VigiLife
Sponsors
Expertise Partner: autoLOTO
Program Partner: The Amphibious Group
Innovation Partners: Highwire, SALUS
Exhibition Partners: Brown Safety Consulting, Haztek, Hubka Safety Consulting, ISN Software Corporation, Midwest Risk Management, Perry Weather, Safety Systems Management, Top Shelf Safety
Event Partner: Venus Construction
Who Should Attend
- EHS leaders at data center owners and operators, hyperscalers, colocators, and developers
- Project management, construction, delivery, preconstruction, supply chain, and MEP leaders on data center projects
- Safety leaders at general contractors and trade partners working on mission-critical projects
Logistics
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Dates: Pre-conference workshop day on Monday, October 26, 2026. Conference days on Tuesday, October 27 and Wednesday, October 28.
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Venue: The Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton, 1914 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75201
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Passes: Complimentary passes are reserved for qualifying data center owners and operators, hyperscalers, and colocators, typically manager level and above. Applications require approval, with up to three passes per organization. Sales, marketing, business development, partnership, and sponsorship roles are not eligible. Paid passes are available for other attendees.
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