A fatal incident has been reported at an electrical substation being built to supply power to a new Microsoft data center in London.

It is understood that a worker was trapped after an incident involving an aerial work platform at the Park Royal site in Ealing last week, and died of his injuries in hospital on Friday.

Very few details are available about the incident, reported by BNN, but a spokesman for the UK Health & Safety Executive confirmed it to Vertikal, saying: “We are aware of this incident and are investigating alongside the Metropolitan Police.”

Microsoft has a data center construction site in West Acton (recently visited by Prince William, to discuss concerns about deaths from suicide in construction). Reports of last week's death say the event took place away from the data center site itself, at an electrical substation being built to power the facility.

Shortages of power and bottlenecks in its distribution have plagued the West London area, including Acton. In 2021, it was revealed that pre-booked power connections for data centers there were making it very difficult for housing projects to get the go-ahead.

Both Vertikal and BNN criticized secrecy around events like this.

"Trying to uncover any information on this incident has been more than a challenge," said Vertikal. "It [is a] sad indictment of our industry that those involved feel obliged to keep all details secret. Most of the secrecy is a dance between the developer/client, contractor, the individual involved, and site managers to apportion blame."

A Microsoft spokesperson said: "We are deeply saddened by an incident at our construction site in Park Royal, Ealing in which a contractor subsequently lost their life. Our thoughts are with their family, friends, and colleagues at this difficult time. An incident investigation is currently underway, and support being offered to those affected. The health and safety of anyone working on Microsoft sites is a core priority and we are committed to ensuring the highest standards are met in the delivery of our projects."

DCD has asked for more details from the National Grid.

Update: Construction Management reports the accident took place at the Powergate Project site, where H&MV Engineering is building an electrical substation for Microsoft. The victim was reportedly a man in his late 20s.

A spokesperson for H&MV Engineering said the worker was not a company employee, and it was investigating the incident.

H&MV said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened by an incident at the construction site in Park Royal, Ealing, in which a subcontractor of the civil contractor subsequently lost their life. Everybody is focused on doing all they can to support the family, friends, colleagues, and everyone affected by this tragic incident. Health and safety is a core priority and everybody is committed to ensuring the highest standards are met.”

Our sympathies go out to the deceased and their family.