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Kao Data and PepTalk Redefine Safety and Culture at Scale in AI-Driven Construction

Haelee Reis

Head of Marketing and Program

April 30, 2025

A first-of-its-kind approach brings real-time workforce insight to one of the UK’s most advanced data centres—transforming how culture powers performance.

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As demand for AI infrastructure explodes, Kao Data is leading the charge—not just in technology, but in how complex sites are delivered.

KLON-03, Kao Data’s newest 17.6MW liquid-cooled facility in Harlow, is part of a growing portfolio expected to exceed 160MW of capacity. But alongside the scale and technical ambition is a people-first strategy that’s reshaping how safety, engagement, and performance are built into daily operations.

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PepTalk Launch Kao Data Harlow Campus

Rudi Filmalter, Divisional Director, JCA Engineering, Bernard Brogan, COO and Co-founder, PepTalk, Gavin Fernandez, Commercial & Delivery Director, Kao Data, Scott Manton, HSE Director, Kao Data

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In partnership with JCA Engineering and PepTalk, Kao Data is embedding real-time workforce insight into every phase of construction. The PepTalk platform captures live, anonymous feedback from site teams to give leadership a constant pulse on morale, communication, and psychological safety—critical indicators that traditional metrics often miss.

Rather than reacting to incidents after the fact, this approach enables early intervention on emerging risks. It’s a smarter way to manage safety, and it works. Across large-scale builds in Europe and the U.S., PepTalk sites have seen up to a 31% increase in workforce morale and measurable improvements in retention and incident rates.

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For Kao Data, it’s about aligning high-performance engineering with high-performance teams.

“As we build one of the UK’s most advanced data centres, we’re applying the same high standards to the way we support people on site,” said Gavin Fernandez, Commercial & Delivery Director at Kao Data. “PepTalk’s insight helps us deliver smarter, faster, and with care.”

This project marks another milestone in PepTalk’s growing impact across global infrastructure. From hyperscale data centres to mission-critical life sciences facilities, more organisations are turning to real-time, worker-led insight to reduce risk and raise standards—across safety, culture, and delivery.

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