A continuous source of accessible information, available throughout a building’s lifetime

When Dame Judith Hackett recommended the introduction of a ‘golden thread’ in 2018, it was to ensure that what happened at Grenfell would never take place again. It was about righting the wrongs of a situation where so much had been overlooked, not monitored or checked.

 

She identified the need for key information to be stored, managed, and available throughout a building’s existence. A tool was required to safely and effectively design, construct and operate them, described as “a robust golden thread of key information” that should be “passed across to future building owners to underpin more effective safety management throughout the building life cycle”, according to Hackett.

 

The UK government accepted Dame Hackett’s recommendations in full. They formed the Building Safety Act, and then the Building Safety Act in 2022. The Health and Safety Executive set up the Building Safety Regulator to enforce this.

 

But despite that, and despite the amount of words used to explain the Golden Thread, there’s still a lack of clarity and some confusion. Who is actually responsible and at what stage? Which documents are required, when?

 

There are three main phases of a building’s life – the design, construction and occupation. The key personnel are shown. Plus when the full plans need to be landed. We’ve built a graphic to make this clearer, and much more. Do let us know what you think, and we hope you find it useful.

 

You can also find more detail from the government’s website.