Google Datacentre Workers in Belgium Face Electrocution Risks, Disease, and Unpaid Overtime

Workers building a Google datacentre in Saint-Ghislain, Belgium, report being pressured to skip safety measures and work unpaid overtime, exposing them to electrocution and other hazards. One electrical tester, Sandu, 34, says he was forced to perform high-voltage tests without a protective suit because retrieving it would have taken too long, and refusing tasks could lead to dismissal. The Guardian and Investigate Europe found that such conditions are part of a wider pattern across Europe, where the rapid expansion of datacentres is outpacing safety enforcement. Many workers, often migrants, fear speaking out due to precarious contracts and weak union representation. This matters because the digital infrastructure boom is being built on the backs of vulnerable laborers, raising urgent questions about corporate responsibility and regulatory oversight. As demand for cloud services grows, ensuring safe and fair working conditions in datacentre construction will be critical to sustainable tech expansion.