Powering Safety Transformation: Leighton Asia’s Digital Leap with Hubble Safety Management System at the Loyang Data Centre

In the past five years, data centres have evolved from being niche infrastructure projects to central pillars of the global economy. Cloud computing, AI workloads, and digital transformation have triggered unprecedented demand. According to Global Data Center Construction Market Report 2023, global data centre construction is projected to reach $73.43 billion in 2028, at a compound annual rate of 6.5%. Singapore — despite its limited land area — has become a data centre hub in Asia. Cushman & Wakefield’s 2025 Global Data Center Market Comparison report ranked Singapore among the top 10 data centre markets in Asia Pacific. 

Contractors today face tight schedules, compressed site footprints, and strict compliance standards. Data centre projects are not only complex in structure; they must also be near-zero in downtime and near-perfect in safety. It is important to note that this surge in hyperscale and edge data centres does not just create demand for space — it redefines how construction firms operate. Contractors capable of delivering highly coordinated, tech-integrated projects gain a competitive edge in bidding for these data centre contracts. This shift has placed safety, data accuracy, and operational agility at the core of project delivery.

About Leighton Asia Southern and the Loyang Data Centre

Leighton Asia Southern Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Leighton Asia, is known for tackling complex, high-value construction and infrastructure projects across the region. The Loyang Data Centre project stands as one of its most digitally advanced undertakings in Singapore, with a capacity of 70 megawatts. It is one of the largest data centres on the island and will increase Singapore’s data centre capacity by about 5%. The facility is designed with sustainability in mind, targeting a very low Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.20 and using eco-friendly materials like green concrete and steel.

When Leighton Asia took on the Loyang Data Centre project — a mission-critical facility for a global tech client — safety was not a mere compliance checkbox. It was a living system that had to operate flawlessly across a complex ecosystem of subcontractors, engineers, and inspectors.

The project demanded rigorous safety management. With multiple contractors, confined work zones, and high-voltage systems, manual permit-to-work (PTW) processes became unsustainable. In projects of this scale, paperwork can multiply fast. Each task requires a work permit. Each permit demands signatures, validations, and records. Paper workflows often caused friction — delays in approvals, lost records, and limited visibility into active permits. Delays here mean delays everywhere — in workflows, decisions, and accountability. 

Safety is not just compliance — it’s coordination. Achieving that level of coordination on a fast-moving digital infrastructure site requires more than commitment; it requires an integrated digital platform.

The Challenge: When Paper Becomes a Problem

Leighton Asia’s safety team managed hundreds of permits daily. Paper-based workflows strained visibility and slowed coordination between teams. Site supervisors could lose hours chasing physical approvals, while safety officers grappled with inconsistent documentation.

Industry research shows that construction teams spend up to 35% of their time on non-value-adding activities related to paperwork. In high-pressure environments, that inefficiency becomes a real risk. Leighton Asia needed a system that could bring structure to complexity — one that made compliance effortless and safety measurable in real time.

The Solution: Hubble Safety Management System

The Hubble Safety Management System transformed the entire Permit-to-Work (PTW) process. Instead of relying on manual handovers, supervisors and safety officers could now create, review, and approve permits from a unified digital platform. The system provided:

• Real-time tracking of active permits, categorized by work type and risk level.
• Instant notifications for new submissions and approvals.
• A clear digital audit trail for every approval and edit.
• Data analytics to highlight bottlenecks and frequently recurring hazards.

It is important to note that this wasn’t just about replacing paper with screens. It was about changing how people interacted with safety. Teams could collaborate faster because the friction was gone.

Within three months, Leighton Asia reported that permit processing times dropped by 40%, and the number of delayed approvals fell sharply. Site teams began acting on real-time data, not outdated spreadsheets. The digital traceability also reinforced accountability — every permit told a story that could be audited at a glance.

Human Factor: The Turning Point

The safety officers were no longer firefighters of admin chaos. They became active stewards of site safety. Supervisors gained confidence that their permits were not just approved — they were visible, valid, and tracked.

Leighton’s digital transition speaks to a larger truth in construction safety: technology doesn’t replace judgment; it empowers it. A system like Hubble only works when anchored by a culture brave enough to change. Results that matter:

• 40% faster permit approvals.
• Zero lost records or untraceable permit histories.
• Higher visibility across all subcontractor work scopes.
• Measurable improvement in compliance reporting time.

The data centre project demonstrated that digital transformation in safety is not a future goal — it’s a present necessity.

Lessons Learned

Real change begins when data is trusted. For Leighton, ownership of data translated into ownership of safety outcomes. Consistency in training was the other key: every worker, from site foreman to engineer, understood the "why" behind digital adoption.

As Hubble’s system matured on-site, it revealed patterns — repeated hazard types, approval delays, peak workload cycles. Those insights now inform future safety strategy, proving that a good digital system doesn’t just record safety; it improves it.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is an ePTW system?

The Electronic Permit-to-Work (ePTW) is a digital system that automates safety permits, enabling faster approval, traceability, and real-time monitoring of work activities on-site. Audit preparation time decreased significantly as all records became centralized and instantly retrievable.

2: Can the ePTW system be adapted to different project sizes?

Yes. Hubble Safety Management System scales easily — from industrial plants to large infrastructure projects — maintaining consistent safety standards across all scopes.

3. What does construction safety management software actually do? 

At its core, a construction safety management software systemises how safety processes are carried out — from permit-to-work issuance to incident reporting and compliance tracking. Instead of managing safety through fragmented paper records or spreadsheets, the system connects teams, approvals, and data in a single cloud-based platform. This structure not only reduces administrative drag but turns every safety action into measurable data.

4. Why is digitising safety management critical for large-scale infrastructure projects in Singapore? 

Singapore’s construction industry operates under intense regulatory scrutiny, with MOM and BCA mandating strict safety reporting and risk mitigation frameworks. Digital systems simplify these compliance workflows. More importantly, they help project teams maintain real-time visibility — a critical advantage when multiple subcontractors and work zones overlap.

5. Construction projects often involve multiple contractors. How does this software handle accountability?

The system records every action with a digital audit trail. Each permit, comment, and status change is traceable to an individual user. That kind of visibility discourages shortcuts and promotes joint responsibility among subcontractors. It also reinforces a culture of shared safety ownership — something paper rarely achieves.

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