How Sunway Construction Uses Hubble Safety Management System to Drive Safety Excellence and Speed in Hyperscale Data Centre Construction

Data centre construction in Asia is experiencing a significant boom, driven by the escalating global demand for hyperscale infrastructure. The industry faces a unique challenge: achieving both speed and safety simultaneously. Hyperscale projects demand precision, zero downtime, and absolutely no incidents. 

For Sunway Construction, building a data centre extends beyond steel and concrete; it is about building trust — safely, at scale, and on time. Hubble.Build stands as the integrated construction management software redefining digital safety workflows in these complex builds.

What’s at Stake — The Safety Challenge in Hyperscale Data Centre Projects

Hyperscale data centres operate at an immense scale, under considerable pressure. A single 20MW project, for example, can host tens of thousands of servers, necessitating hundreds of workers and contractors in tightly coordinated activities, all while adhering to aggressive timelines. Typical safety management often encounters bottlenecks, including fragmented systems, manual Permit-to-Work (PTW) processes, and reactive inspections. According to Singapore’s Workplace Safety and Health Council, construction remains the highest-risk sector, accounting for nearly 25% of all workplace injuries in 2024. Furthermore, data centre contractors report that up to 30% of project time can be lost due to inefficient permitting and safety-related stoppages. This highlights the critical need for transformation, which led Sunway Construction to adopt Hubble.

Safety Workflows Before Using Hubble

Prior to Hubble, Sunway Construction relied on a system characterised by spreadsheets, paper-based PTW, delayed approvals, and scattered inspection data. When there are many different teams on site, one delayed permit could hold up an entire zone. This system presented three key breakdowns: significant time wastage, critical accountability gaps, and a pervasive lack of data visibility.

How the Hubble Safety Management System Transformed Operations

The Hubble Safety Management System introduces integrated modules specifically designed for large-scale, high-speed environments. Hubble seamlessly connects various workflows:

• Permit-to-Work Automation: This cloud-based, digital system offers real-time tracking, significantly reducing approval cycles from days to mere hours.
• Inspections & Incident Reporting: Site data is efficiently captured via a mobile app, enabling proactive risk detection.
• Analytics & Dashboards: Instant visibility into safety trends empowers project directors to make early and effective interventions.

Sunway Construction recorded a 50% reduction in PTW turnaround time and a 35% reduction in inspection delays within three months of adoption. Additionally, safety incident reporting compliance rose from 68% to 95%.

The Human Perspective — From the Ground Up

On-site engineers at Sunway Construction have experienced a tangible shift. Supervisors no longer chase signatures or forms. This digital transparency has fostered a cultural change, moving from reactive compliance to proactive safety ownership. The human impact is evident in fewer late-night calls, faster communication, and improved morale across teams.

Business Impact Beyond Compliance

Operational efficiency directly translates into measurable project success. This includes faster project completions without compromising safety, alongside consistent documentation for client audits and hyperscaler compliance requirements. Every hour saved in safety clearance can keep a hyperscale project aligned to its aggressive commissioning targets. Hubble’s scalability further positions Sunway Construction for strategic regional expansion.

Why Hubble.Build Leads in Data Centre Construction Management

Hubble.Build stands out as the integrated construction management platform suitable for tier-one data centre contractors. Its key differentiators include local compliance intelligence, modular integration encompassing safety, quality, and workforce designed for hyperscale coordination. We built Hubble.Build to help contractors like Sunway Construction in Malaysia deliver precision and safety, even under hyperscale pressure. 

Lessons Learned and Future Outlook

Tactical lessons learned include: data visibility drives informed decisions, integration reduces enforcement friction, and a proactive safety culture sustains timelines. The future outlook involves AI-assisted safety analytics, predictive risk modeling, and the next evolution of data-driven construction safety.

A New Standard for Safe, Fast Delivery

The partnership between Hubble and Sunway Construction reinforces leadership in both digital transformation and construction safety. At the pace hyperscale demands, safety cannot merely be a checkpoint. It must be built into the system, and that is precisely what Hubble enables.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is safety such a critical challenge in hyperscale data centre construction?

Hyperscale data centres demand rapid delivery under high operational pressure. With hundreds of workers on-site and complex concurrent workflows, even a single delayed permit or safety incident can cause significant downtime. This makes safety excellence and speed equally non-negotiable. 

2. What safety pain points do traditional construction sites face?

Conventional safety processes rely on paper-based permits, delayed approvals, and isolated reporting. These cause inefficiency, accountability gaps, slow incident responses, and data fragmentation across teams. 

3. How does the Hubble Safety Management System solve these challenges?

Hubble digitalises the entire safety workflow through real-time Permit-to-Work automation, mobile-enabled inspections, and analytics dashboards — ensuring faster approvals, enhanced accountability, and data visibility across project teams. 

4. How does Hubble empower on-site teams? 

The system eliminates manual paperwork and approval bottlenecks, allowing supervisors and engineers to focus on proactive safety management rather than administrative follow-ups. This shift fosters accountability, collaboration, and a stronger safety culture. 

5. Does improving safety also enhance project speed and profitability? 

Yes. Every hour saved in safety clearance keeps hyperscale data centre projects aligned with aggressive delivery timelines, minimising downtime and optimising labour productivity—without compromising compliance.

➡️ Request a demo today.