Safety Reporting at Oracle’s Stargate AI Data Center Construction in Abilene, Texas

Oracle’s Stargate AI data center project in Abilene, Texas, has become the focus of scrutiny over reported workplace safety. The company asserts that its construction sites maintain injury rates substantially below industry averages, a claim that has prompted requests for verification from journalists and labor watchdogs.

Time Magazine

The first Stargate campus in Abilene involved roughly 8,000 workers contributing an estimated 20 million labor hours, according to Oracle. The site’s management relies on a layered network of primary contractors and subcontractors, including DPR and Crusoe, which distributes responsibility for day-to-day safety oversight across multiple entities.

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Oracle’s internal communications state that the campus records safety incidents at a rate “approximately 2.5 × lower than industry norms” based on Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. The company further describes the environment as “far safer than most” construction projects. No independent audit of these figures has been released.

Time Magazine

Oracle responded to inquiries by emphasizing the site’s comparative safety and by citing the 2.5-fold lower incident rate. Representatives from DPR and Crusoe echoed the same statistic. When asked for the underlying data supporting the claim, Oracle declined to share internal records, and the contractors did not provide additional commentary.

Time Magazine

Labor experts note that non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are common in high-tech construction, potentially limiting external scrutiny. The diffusion of safety responsibility among numerous subcontractors can obscure accountability. Critics also point to the reliance on employer-maintained incident logs rather than Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) records, raising questions about the completeness of reported data.

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A 2009 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlighted systemic disincentives for both employers and employees to fully document workplace injuries. Complementing this, a 2004 peer-reviewed study funded in part by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimated that official logs omit between 33 % and 69 % of work-related injuries and illnesses. These findings suggest that Oracle’s self-reported safety metrics may not capture the full scope of incidents.

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• “far safer than most,” — Oracle spokesperson, email to TIME

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• “approximately 2.5x lower than industry norms based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data.” — Oracle spokesperson, email to TIME

Time Magazine

Absent a public release of detailed injury logs, external verification of Oracle’s safety claims remains limited. Stakeholders have called for independent audits or regulatory reviews to assess whether the reported incident rates accurately reflect on-site conditions. Until such data are disclosed, the gap between company statements and independent safety research is likely to persist.

Time Magazine