Data Center and Critical Infrastructure Accidents: Understanding the Risks Facing Workers Building Texas’ AI Future

The Rapid Expansion of AI Infrastructure Is Creating a New Generation of Industrial Worksites

Artificial intelligence is transforming industries across the world, and Texas has become one of the leading destinations for the infrastructure needed to support this technological revolution. Companies are investing billions of dollars into massive AI data centers, cloud computing campuses, energy storage projects, electrical substations, and power infrastructure designed to support the increasing demand for advanced computing. These projects represent some of the largest industrial developments being built today. They require enormous amounts of electricity, sophisticated cooling systems, specialized mechanical equipment, backup power systems, and complex electrical infrastructure. Behind every AI data center are thousands of workers responsible for construction, electrical installation, equipment placement, maintenance, and ongoing operations.

Although these facilities are often described as technology projects, the work required to build and maintain them is industrial in nature. The workers involved face many of the same hazards found in refineries, power plants, manufacturing facilities, and heavy construction sites. Electricians work around high-voltage systems. Construction crews operate cranes and heavy equipment. Contractors install massive generators and cooling systems. Maintenance personnel work around energized equipment, battery systems, and complex machinery.

When companies fail to manage these risks properly, the consequences can be devastating. Workers at AI data centers and critical infrastructure facilities may suffer catastrophic injuries from electrocution, arc flash explosions, equipment failures, falls, fires, chemical exposure, and other industrial hazards. These accidents can result in severe burns, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, permanent disabilities, and wrongful death.

At Perkins & Perkins, we understand that investigating these accidents requires more than simply determining what happened at the moment of injury. These cases often involve multiple companies, complex equipment, and overlapping safety responsibilities. Understanding who controlled the worksite, who created the dangerous condition, and who failed to correct the hazard is often essential to determining whether an injured worker has a legal claim.

Understanding those responsibilities begins with understanding what these facilities actually are.

Why AI Data Centers Are More Than Technology Facilities

The public often thinks of data centers as quiet buildings filled with computer servers, but modern AI data centers are far more complex. Artificial intelligence applications require enormous computing capacity. Unlike traditional computer systems, AI workloads require specialized processors operating continuously at extremely high levels. Supporting that computing power requires massive electrical infrastructure and advanced cooling systems. A large AI data center campus may include high-voltage electrical distribution systems, dedicated electrical substations, backup generators, battery energy storage systems, cooling plants, fuel systems, industrial controls, and extensive mechanical equipment. The scale of these facilities creates safety challenges that are closer to heavy industry than traditional commercial construction. A single project may involve:

A property owner developing the facility
A general contractor managing construction
Electrical contractors installing power systems
Mechanical contractors installing cooling systems
Equipment manufacturers supplying critical components
Testing and commissioning companies
Maintenance contractors

Each company may control different aspects of the work. When responsibilities overlap, failures in communication or planning can create dangerous conditions. Many industrial accidents are not caused by one isolated mistake. They occur because companies fail to coordinate operations, identify hazards, train workers, or establish procedures designed for the complexity of the project. Of all the hazards these projects create, none is more constant than the one that powers the facility itself.

Electrical Accidents at AI Data Centers and Critical Infrastructure Facilities

Electricity is the foundation of every AI data center, but it is also one of the greatest dangers workers face. Modern facilities require enormous amounts of power. Many AI campuses require dedicated substations, transformers, switchgear, generators, and electrical distribution systems capable of supporting hundreds of megawatts of demand. Workers responsible for installing, testing, repairing, and maintaining these systems may be exposed to dangerous levels of electrical energy. Electrical accidents may occur during:

Installation of electrical infrastructure
Equipment testing
Maintenance operations
Troubleshooting
Repairs
Facility commissioning

One of the most dangerous electrical events is an arc flash. An arc flash occurs when electrical current travels through an unintended path, creating an explosion of extreme heat, light, and pressure. In a fraction of a second, an arc flash can produce temperatures capable of causing catastrophic burns and life-changing injuries. Workers exposed to arc flash incidents may suffer severe burns, hearing damage, eye injuries, respiratory injuries, nerve damage, traumatic brain injuries, and permanent disabilities. Companies working around energized systems have a responsibility to identify hazards, establish safe work procedures, provide proper protective equipment, and ensure workers are adequately trained. When safety procedures are ignored, or production demands are prioritized over worker protection, the results can be devastating. An arc flash is not the only way energized equipment injures workers, and many of these incidents trace back to a breakdown in one specific safety process.

Lockout/Tagout Failures and Energized Equipment Injuries

One of the most important safety protections in industrial environments is lockout/tagout. These procedures are designed to prevent workers from being injured by unexpected energization or movement of equipment while maintenance or repairs are underway. At AI data centers and critical infrastructure facilities, workers may perform maintenance on:

Electrical distribution systems
Generators
Cooling equipment
Mechanical systems
Battery storage systems
Industrial controls

A failure to properly isolate energy sources can expose workers to electrical shock, moving machinery, pressure systems, or stored energy. These failures are especially dangerous at large infrastructure projects where multiple contractors may be working at the same time. One contractor may believe equipment has been shut down while another contractor changes operating conditions or restores power. Proper communication between companies is essential. When employers, contractors, or facility operators fail to establish effective safety procedures, workers may suffer catastrophic injuries that could have been prevented. The hazards of stored energy extend well beyond electrical distribution equipment. As industrial facilities evolve, new technologies are introducing new risks. Among the most significant is the rapid expansion of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), which can store enormous amounts of electrical energy and present unique fire, explosion, and electrical hazards.

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): A Growing Source of Industrial Risk

Battery energy storage systems are becoming increasingly common throughout Texas as companies seek reliable backup power and greater control over energy use. These systems play an important role in supporting:

AI data centers
Cloud computing facilities
Renewable energy projects
Utility infrastructure
Large industrial operations

However, large-scale battery systems create unique hazards because they store enormous amounts of electrical energy. Unlike traditional electrical equipment, battery systems can experience chemical reactions that create dangerous conditions. One of the greatest concerns is thermal runaway, where excessive heat causes one battery cell to fail and potentially triggers failures in surrounding cells.

These events can create:

Fires
Explosions
Toxic chemical releases
Extreme heat conditions

Workers may be exposed during installation, testing, maintenance, repairs, and emergency response. BESS accidents may occur because of defective components, improper installation, inadequate maintenance, insufficient training, or failures to follow safety procedures. Because battery technology is evolving rapidly, investigating these accidents often requires examining not only workers’ actions but also the design, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance of the system itself. The hazards described so far exist once a facility is built and operating. Many of the most serious injuries occur long before the first server is ever installed.

Construction Accidents During AI Data Center Development

Before an AI data center can process information, the facility must first be built. Construction of these facilities involves many of the most dangerous activities in the industrial world, including excavation, concrete work, steel erection, welding, electrical installation, equipment placement, and heavy machinery operations. Workers may encounter hazards involving:

Cranes
Scaffolding
Forklifts
Excavations
Electrical systems
Welding operations
Elevated work areas
Heavy equipment

A worker injured on a data center construction site may have a claim involving not only the employer but also another company that controlled the work area, supplied defective equipment, performed unsafe work, or failed to correct a dangerous condition. While the facts of every case are different, certain hazards appear repeatedly on large industrial construction projects and are responsible for many of the most serious injuries.

Falls, Equipment Failures, and Heavy Machinery Accidents

Falls remain one of the most serious hazards in industrial construction. Workers building AI infrastructure may perform tasks from:

Scaffolding
Lifts
Platforms
Structural steel
Mechanical equipment areas

A failure to provide proper fall protection, maintain safe work areas, or train employees can result in devastating injuries. Heavy equipment also creates significant risks. Cranes, forklifts, lifts, and other machinery are essential to these projects, but they must be properly maintained and safely operated. Accidents may occur because of equipment defects, improper operation, overloaded equipment, poor communication, or inadequate supervision. These incidents can result in crush injuries, amputations, spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and fatalities. The risks tied to AI development also extend well beyond the property line of the data center itself.

Grid Infrastructure and Electrical Substation Accidents

The growth of artificial intelligence requires more than data centers. These facilities depend on a massive electrical infrastructure network capable of delivering reliable, uninterrupted power. As AI computing demand increases, utilities and private companies are investing heavily in new electrical infrastructure, including:

Electrical substations
Transmission upgrades
Distribution systems
Power generation facilities
Grid modernization projects

These projects are essential to supporting the next generation of technology, but they also expose workers to some of the most dangerous conditions in the industrial environment. Electrical substation workers, electricians, construction crews, and maintenance personnel may work around high-voltage equipment capable of causing catastrophic injuries within seconds. Alongside the electrocution and arc flash hazards described earlier, substation and grid infrastructure accidents may involve:

Transformer failures
Electrical fires
Equipment malfunctions
Falls from elevated structures
Heavy equipment accidents

Because electrical systems often operate under extreme voltage, mistakes that might seem minor in another industry can have fatal consequences. Understanding why these accidents happen requires understanding how much specialized work a substation demands. Electrical substations are highly specialized facilities requiring careful design, installation, testing, and maintenance. Workers may be responsible for installing or servicing:

Transformers
Circuit breakers
Switchgear
Control systems
Electrical distribution equipment
Protective relay systems

The work requires extensive training and coordination. A failure to properly isolate electrical systems, identify hazards, or follow established procedures can put workers directly in harm’s way. Substation accidents may also occur when companies fail to maintain safe distances from energized components, conduct appropriate inspections, coordinate work between contractors, or maintain equipment according to safety standards. These failures can result in life-altering injuries and raise important questions about which companies were responsible for creating or failing to correct the dangerous condition. Substations and transmission systems deliver power to these facilities, but AI operators do not rely on the grid alone.

Utility-Scale Backup Power Systems and Generator Accidents

AI data centers operate under strict reliability requirements. Even a brief power interruption can disrupt operations, damage equipment, and cause significant financial losses. To prevent downtime, many facilities rely on extensive backup power systems, including:

Diesel generators
Natural gas generators
Fuel storage systems
Automatic transfer switches
Battery storage systems

These systems allow facilities to continue operating during power interruptions, but they also introduce additional industrial hazards. Workers responsible for installing, testing, repairing, and maintaining backup systems may encounter electrical hazards, mechanical dangers, fuel-related risks, and confined-space conditions. Those hazards are concentrated in the generators and fuel systems themselves. Large industrial generators contain complex mechanical and electrical components, and maintenance workers may perform tasks around:

Moving engine components
High temperatures
Fuel systems
Exhaust systems
Electrical connections
Pressurized components

Accidents may occur because of:

Poor maintenance practices
Equipment defects
Fuel leaks
Improper installation
Failure to follow safety procedures
Inadequate worker training

A generator malfunction or fuel system failure can create fires, explosions, toxic exposures, and serious injuries. Identifying how an accident happened is only the first step. The next question is who is responsible for it.

Who May Be Responsible for a Data Center or Critical Infrastructure Accident?

One of the most important aspects of investigating a critical infrastructure accident is identifying every company that played a role in creating the conditions that caused the injury. Unlike a simple workplace accident involving one employer, AI data center and infrastructure projects often involve dozens of businesses. A worker’s injury may involve responsibility from:

Employers
General contractors
Subcontractors
Property owners
Equipment manufacturers
Engineering firms
Maintenance companies
Safety consultants

Determining responsibility requires examining who controlled the work, who made safety decisions, and who had the ability to prevent the accident. Each of these groups carries a different set of obligations.

Employers and Contractors

Employers have a responsibility to provide workers with a reasonably safe workplace. This includes proper training, appropriate equipment, and procedures designed to reduce known hazards. Contractors and subcontractors may also be responsible when their work creates unsafe conditions. For example, a contractor may be responsible if it:

Performs electrical work improperly
Fails to maintain equipment
Creates an unsafe work area
Fails to warn other workers about hazards

Because multiple contractors may be working together, a complete investigation is often necessary to determine how the accident occurred. Responsibility is also not always limited to the companies performing the work.

Equipment Manufacturers

Some critical infrastructure accidents involve defective equipment. Manufacturers may be responsible when products are:

Defectively designed
Defectively manufactured
Missing adequate safety warnings
Not accompanied by proper instructions

Examples may include defective electrical components, unsafe machinery, faulty battery systems, or equipment that fails during normal use. Product liability investigations often require examining engineering records, maintenance history, failure analysis, and industry standards. Beyond the companies performing the work and supplying the equipment, the companies that control the site itself may also have obligations.

Property Owners and Facility Operators

Owners and operators of critical infrastructure facilities may also have safety responsibilities. They may be responsible when they:

Allow dangerous conditions to exist
Fail to maintain the premises
Fail to warn workers about known hazards
Fail to oversee contractors properly

The specific responsibilities depend on the circumstances of the project and the agreements between the companies involved. Sorting out those responsibilities is rarely possible without a detailed investigation.

Investigating Data Center and Infrastructure Accidents

Critical infrastructure accidents are often complex because the cause of the injury may not be immediately obvious. A worker may be injured by an electrical event, equipment failure, or unsafe condition, but determining why that condition existed requires examining the entire chain of events.

A proper investigation may involve reviewing:

Accident reports
OSHA records
Safety procedures
Training documents
Maintenance records
Equipment inspection records
Contractor agreements
Work permits
Electrical drawings
Video surveillance
Witness statements
Corporate records
Insurance information

Investigators must determine:

Who controlled the worksite?
Which company controlled the equipment?
Were proper safety procedures followed?
Was equipment properly maintained?
Were workers properly trained?
Did another company create the hazard?

These questions can determine whether an injured worker has claims beyond traditional workers’ compensation benefits, and the answers shape the legal options available after the accident.

Texas Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Injury Claims

After a workplace accident, many injured workers assume their only option is filing a workers’ compensation claim. While workers’ compensation provides important benefits for many employees, it may not be the only potential source of recovery. In Texas, some employers subscribe to workers’ compensation insurance, while others do not. The availability of additional legal claims depends on the specific facts of the accident and the companies involved. In many industrial and construction accidents, another company may have contributed to the injury. Examples include:

A contractor operating unsafe equipment
A manufacturer producing defective machinery
A maintenance company failing to repair equipment
A property owner failing to correct dangerous conditions

These are often referred to as third-party claims. A third-party claim may allow an injured worker or family to seek compensation from companies other than the employer when their negligence contributed to the accident. Protecting those options often depends on what happens in the days immediately after the accident.

What Injured Workers Should Do After a Data Center or Infrastructure Accident

After a serious industrial accident, the steps taken immediately afterward can significantly affect the ability to investigate and pursue a claim. Workers should consider:

Seek Medical Treatment

Serious industrial injuries should always receive prompt medical attention. Some injuries, particularly electrical injuries, brain injuries, and internal injuries, may not be immediately obvious.

Report the Accident

Workers should ensure the accident is properly documented and reported through the appropriate channels.

Preserve Evidence

Important evidence may disappear quickly. Equipment may be repaired, work areas may change, and witnesses may leave the project.

Identify All Companies Involved

Because multiple companies may share responsibility, it is important to identify every contractor, subcontractor, equipment supplier, and company involved in the project.

Speak With an Experienced Industrial Accident Lawyer

Complex infrastructure accidents require experienced investigation. Understanding the role of each company involved is often critical to protecting an injured worker’s rights. These questions are only going to become more common across the state.

The Future of Texas Industrial Accidents Will Include AI Infrastructure

The expansion of AI, cloud computing, and energy infrastructure represents one of the largest industrial growth periods in Texas history.

New data centers, battery storage facilities, substations, and power projects will continue to be built across the state. These developments will create thousands of jobs and support technological growth, but they will also create new safety challenges.

The companies building and operating these facilities have a responsibility to protect the workers who make this progress possible. When companies fail to follow safety requirements, maintain equipment, properly train employees, or coordinate complex operations, workers and families can suffer devastating consequences.

At Perkins & Perkins, we investigate serious industrial accidents involving complex construction sites, energy facilities, electrical infrastructure, and the rapidly expanding data center industry throughout Texas. These cases often require far more than a basic accident investigation. Understanding what happened may involve analyzing electrical distribution systems, critical power infrastructure, battery energy storage systems (BESS), backup generation, cooling systems, commissioning activities, contractor coordination, and the unique safety challenges that exist on large-scale mission-critical projects. We understand how these facilities are designed, constructed, and operated, and we work with qualified engineers, safety professionals, and other industry experts to identify what went wrong and who is legally responsible. If you or a loved one has been injured while working on a data center project, electrical facility, battery storage system, substation, or other critical infrastructure project, our attorneys can help investigate the incident, preserve critical evidence, and determine whether another company or contractor’s negligence contributed to your injuries.

Contact Perkins & Perkins today to discuss your potential claim and learn what legal options may be available.