What is the Golden Thread? Why is it mentioned in the Building Safety Act 2022?

The Golden thread of information was suggested by Dame Judith Hackitt, who was appointed as an independent reviewer of existing building and fire safety regulations after the Grenfell Tower disaster 5 years ago.For instance, do you know the vital information about the building you live or work in? Where the fire exists, water hydrants, etc. are?That is intrinsically wrong if you don’t and leads to the lack of accountability if the information is not collected thoroughly.

That is a new requirement of a more stringent regulatory framework introduced to make buildings safer. In other words, the Golden Thread of information is the new policy that requires that the information on high-risk buildings and the documents themselves are thoroughly collected, updated, and stored throughout the whole life cycle of the building. The information management, which is also required by this new tool, is supposed to make sure that the information on structural and fire safety is accurate, easily comprehensible, and can be accessed by authorities requesting it.

It should be noted that all the information must be stored in a digital format following the principles of accuracy, relevancy, and security providing the single source of information. The new policy applies to both - the newly built high-risk buildings at three gateways and the existing ones that fall under the BSR requirements. Obtaining all the necessary information for the existing buildings can be a challenge, but in a few years, the only way to obtain building control approval is through the BSR.

What the Golden Thread means in practice?

The Building Control is currently trying to obtain a whole package of information on existing and new buildings from various sources like architects, builders, owners, or contractors. Throughout the life cycle of the building, some vital information can be lost or become outdated. The Principal Accountable Person is going to be held accountable after the construction stage is over. The implementation of the Golden Thread will mean that persons accountable for the buildings:

- need to show that the construction process complies with all the Building Regulations.

- need to prove the design, construction, and refurbishment processes comply with the new Golden Thread policy.

- should be able to understand and identify, handle, reduce and eliminate, if possible, the safety risks and the severity of their consequences.

What to start with?

While there are no certain requirements to the software or digital standards the development companies should start preparing right now by:

- collecting information on existing buildings and the buildings under construction.

- investing money in information management systems that will be able to embrace the requirement of the Golden Thread.

- making sure your development company possesses the necessary level of expertise in the use of BIM.

The Golden Thread of information is crucial for implementing the Building Safety Act because ensuring building safety is impossible without having all the relevant information in one place. Now the residents will be the heart of the safety system in the building. The accountable person is expected to provide the information on the Golden Thread thus increasing public awareness of the safety.