Many contractors, one plan
Steel erection, piping, electrical, instrumentation, insulation and scaffolding work in parallel. Safety is decided at the interfaces, so one health and safety plan brings all trades together.
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Building a new production plant brings steel construction, piping, electrical and process engineering together on one site with many contractors, often right next to a running plant. SAFETEE coordinates health and safety from the start of planning to handover: as SiGeKo under the German Construction Site Ordinance and with HSE management on site.
HSE in industrial construction covers health and safety when industrial plants are built, extended or modernised, such as a production plant in chemicals, oil and gas or food processing, or a data centre. SAFETEE provides safety coordination under the Construction Site Ordinance, HSE managers on site and permit processes through to commissioning. For clients, operators, general contractors and EPC contractors.
Steel erection, piping, electrical, instrumentation, insulation and scaffolding work in parallel. Safety is decided at the interfaces, so one health and safety plan brings all trades together.
On a plant site, plant rules, traffic routes, hazardous areas and live process lines apply. Site and production align daily so neither puts the other at risk.
As soon as power, pressure or media enter the new plant, the hazards change. Isolation, work permits and pre-commissioning inspections belong in the sequence from day one.
In the project, we work operationally on site. Our Safety Consulting advises clients and operators separately. The two roles complement each other and are filled by different people.
Planning and execution-phase coordination for building shells, pipe racks, plant erection and tie-ins to the existing plant, with health and safety plan and file for later work.
HSE managers for the client, general contractor or EPC contractor: inductions, inspections, KPIs and coordination with the plant fire brigade, authorities and statutory accident insurance. If someone is absent, a stand-in from our own team takes over.
Site access and induction, permits to work for hot work and confined space entry, lockout-tagout-tryout (LOTOTO) and the last minute risk analysis before critical steps, through to handover to operations.
For operators: duties and liability around construction, handover and operation of the new plant, from organisation to documentation.
When something has happened: structured investigation of accidents and near misses with root cause analysis and actions, independent of the operational team.
Erecting columns, trusses and roofs, work on pipe racks and scaffolds. Falls from more than 7 m count as particularly hazardous work under Annex II of the German Construction Site Ordinance.
Mobile and tower cranes set steel beams, vessels and plant modules. Lifting gear, ground bearing capacity, wind limits and exclusion zones are checked and released before every lift.
Welding, flame cutting and grinding, especially in existing plants. Before the first spark come the hot work permit, a fire watch and the removal of combustible materials.
Work in vessels, silos, shafts and ducts. Entry only with a permit, gas testing and a standby attendant, guided by DGUV Rule 113-004.
Next to running units, hazardous zones can reach into the site. The operator's explosion protection document and zone classification define where ignition sources are off limits.
Tie-ins to the plant's steam, gas and product lines. Before opening, lines are drained, isolated, tagged and the isolation verified.
Pressure tests, first start-up and energising. Installations requiring monitoring are inspected before commissioning; exclusion zones and responsibilities are agreed in advance.
Plant traffic, forklift routes, deliveries and the plant's emergency organisation continue. Site and plant agree access, routing and alarm procedures together.
HSE has the greatest effect before the construction sequence is fixed. Planning logistics, crane pads, interfaces with the plant and permit processes early avoids re-planning and downtime on site later.
SiGeKo in the planning phase, prior notice, health and safety plan, alignment with plant organisation, plant fire brigade and the operator's explosion protection.
Earthworks and foundations, steel and building erection, piping, electrical and process equipment with many trades in parallel.
Permit process with permit to work, LOTOTO and LMRA, pressure tests, pre-commissioning inspections, first start-up.
File for later work, handover of permit and emergency organisation to operations.
Under § 3 BaustellV, the coordinator is to be appointed for the planning of execution. In industrial construction this means: before the construction sequence, crane pads and tie-ins to the existing plant are fixed.
A major project does not wait for staff. If someone on our side is absent, a stand-in from our own team takes over, trained to the same standards and familiar with documentation and procedures.
In its shell, a data centre is an industrial building like any other. The difference starts with the fit-out: the share of building services is high, and electrical, cooling, ventilation, fire protection and emergency power systems are installed in parallel within a short time. Add medium- and high-voltage installations for the grid connection, refrigeration systems with refrigerants, heavy units lifted in by crane, and a long commissioning phase: systems are energised step by step while installation continues next door.
SAFETEE offers two services for this: safety coordination (SiGeKo) under the German Construction Site Ordinance on behalf of the client, and HSE management on project with HSE managers on site, for the client, general contractor or specialist contractors. It builds on our work on industrial and energy construction sites, where the same topics come together: many trades, switchgear, lifting operations and permits before commissioning. Where our Safety Consulting advises the future operator, for example on operator liability, this is a separate service delivered by different people.
Once several employers work on site, the client appoints a coordinator (§ 3 BaustellV). Electrical work is carried out de-energised as a rule (§ 6 DGUV Regulation 3, five safety rules). Certified personnel install refrigeration systems with fluorinated refrigerants (Art. 10 Regulation (EU) 2024/573). Installations requiring monitoring are inspected before commissioning (§ 15 BetrSichV). Sources accessed 3 Oct 2026.
On the market: the IT connected load of data centres in Germany stands at 2,980 MW in 2025 and is expected to rise to around 5,000 MW by 2030 (Bitkom, press release of 10 Nov 2025).
Sources: BG BAU figures for 2024 as reported by baulinks on 11 Jul 2025; German Construction Site Ordinance § 2 (accessed 29 Sep 2026).
As soon as employees of several employers work on site, the client appoints a coordinator under § 3 BaustellV. If construction lasts more than 30 working days with more than 20 workers at the same time, or exceeds 500 person-days, prior notice is also required. Source: German Construction Site Ordinance, as of 29 Sep 2026.
Where employees of several employers work together, the employers align their protective measures under § 8 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Under § 6 DGUV Regulation 1, where hazards are mutual, the principal appoints a person who aligns the work and is given authority to issue instructions. Sources: ArbSchG, DGUV Regulation 1.
DGUV Rule 113-004 (February 2019) sets the framework for work in vessels, silos and confined spaces, including entry permits and standby attendants. Hot work in areas at risk of fire or explosion requires a work permit system under the German Hazardous Substances Ordinance, in practice the hot work permit. Sources: DGUV, GefStoffV.
Installations requiring monitoring, such as pressure equipment or installations in hazardous areas, are inspected before commissioning under § 15 BetrSichV, usually by an approved inspection body. Work equipment is inspected by a competent person before first use (§ 14 BetrSichV). Source: German Industrial Safety Regulation.
Coordinator, prior notice, health and safety plan; Annex II particularly hazardous work (German).
Cooperation of several employers at the same workplace (German).
Vessels, silos and confined spaces, part 1: work in vessels, silos and confined spaces, 02/2019 (German).
Inspection of work equipment and installations requiring monitoring, §§ 14 and 15 (German).
What the explosion protection document under § 6(9) GefStoffV must contain (German).
Accidents and fatal accidents in German construction 2024, report of 11 Jul 2025 (German).
Electrical installations and equipment; § 6 work on live parts, five safety rules (German).
Certified personnel for installation, maintenance and leak checks of refrigeration systems, Art. 10 Regulation (EU) 2024/573 (German).
Market development and IT connected load, study by the Borderstep Institute, press release of 10 Nov 2025 (German).
Last updated: 3 Oct 2026
Coordination under BaustellV from planning to the file for later work.
HSE managers on site for client, general contractor or EPC contractor.
Access, induction and coordination of all companies on site.
Last minute risk analysis via app before critical work steps.
Wind energy, battery storage, repowering, grid expansion and industry at a glance.
As a rule, yes. The German Construction Site Ordinance also applies on a plant site. As soon as employees of several employers work there, such as steel erection, piping and electrical installation, the client appoints a coordinator. If construction lasts more than 30 working days with more than 20 workers at the same time, or exceeds 500 person-days, prior notice is also required.
Greenfield means building on open land without existing installations. Brownfield means building within or directly next to a running plant. Brownfield adds plant traffic, live process lines, hazardous areas and the plant's emergency organisation. That calls for particularly close coordination between site and plant.
The duties under the Construction Site Ordinance lie with the client, who may commission a third party (§ 4 BaustellV). Independently, employers coordinate under § 8 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and under § 6 DGUV Regulation 1 the principal appoints a person to align work with mutual hazards. The contract should state who takes which role.
A permit to work is a written authorisation for a specific task at a specific place and time, for example hot work or confined space entry. LOTOTO (lockout-tagout-tryout) secures energy sources: switch off, lock against re-energising, tag and verify effectiveness.
With the planning of execution, at the latest before the construction sequence, logistics and contracts are fixed. Under § 3 BaustellV, the coordinator is to be appointed for the planning phase. Early on, crane pads, routes on the plant site, interfaces with operations and the commissioning sequence can still be set without re-planning.
With power, pressure and media, the hazards change at once. Installations requiring monitoring are inspected before commissioning (§ 15 BetrSichV). Responsibilities, exclusion zones, isolation processes and handover to operating staff should be agreed in writing beforehand, so that erection and operations do not work on the same unit at the same time.
A stand-in from our own team takes over. Our HSE managers are trained to the same standards and familiar with documentation and procedures. The project stays operational and the site stays safe, even during illness or holidays.
For both. As SiGeKo we act on behalf of the client. We provide HSE management for the client, general contractor, EPC contractor or subcontractors. If we hold several roles in the same project, we staff them with different people and set out responsibilities in writing.
As a rule, yes. Shell construction, electrical, cooling, ventilation and fire protection are carried out by different employers, so the client appoints a coordinator under § 3 BaustellV. Above 30 working days with more than 20 workers at once, or above 500 person-days, prior notice is added. SAFETEE coordinates from planning to the file for later work.
Medium voltage, emergency power and refrigeration systems go live step by step while installation continues in other areas. It must be clear at all times which parts are energised or pressurised and who releases them. This takes switching authorisations, work permits, separated areas and pre-commissioning inspections, for example under § 15 BetrSichV.
Type of plant, location, greenfield or within a running plant, planned start of construction and contract model: with these details we estimate the coordination effort and come back to you with a proposal.
