An Industrial Athlete Approach to Trade Partner Safety and Well-Being in Data Center Development

This case study will focus on the positive impact of deploying sports medicine proactively in several Microsoft data center development projects beginning in 2022. We’ll share the roadmap-style framework established for these projects: how we altered our approach and recommendations for mitigating injury risk based on the job tasks performed by trade partners (industrial athletes) in a way that’s unique to each phase. Our work with Microsoft started with implementing an active dynamic warm-up program aligned closely with job tasks. We then started using AI-powered ergonomic technology to identify repetitive, high-injury-risk job tasks and deploy targeted interventions to mitigate musculoskeletal disorder risks and ultimately improve safety outcomes – sharing best practices with trade partners by delivering real-time body mechanics coaching and microlearning.