FIRE & ELECTRICAL SAFETY


THE GOLDEN THREAD APPROACH


Nicola John, Managing Director of Fire Door Maintenance (FDM by UAP Ltd), discusses the importance of the 2018 Hackitt Report “golden thread” recommendation in light of the Grenfell Phase 2 report and recent Grenfell Tower Inquiry. She explores why the industry must address the risks of siloed construction practices, and strategies for implementing the golden thread.


WHAT IS THE GOLDEN THREAD?


The Phase 2 Grenfell report highlighted the failings of both the tower’s materials and those responsible for its maintenance. The 2018 Building a Safer Future report, commissioned by Dame Judith Hackitt, was a critical response to the Grenfell Tower fire. It noted existing building and fire safety regulations and processes for constructing high-rise buildings were “not fit for purpose”, and recommended moving towards the digitisation of product information – an approach dubbed the “golden thread”. It encourages effective and accurate storage and management of information concerning buildings’ designs, construction, and uses.


This is a fundamental shift in the industry’s approach to safety. It safeguards against siloed practices, where vital information could be lost or overlooked. By maintaining a comprehensive and integrated digital record, the golden thread ensures safety remains at the forefront of every stage of a building’s life, protecting both the structure and its occupants.


CHALLENGES FOR THE INDUSTRY PERSIST


The Phase 1 report highlighted the industry’s shortcomings, with Hackitt’s foreword calling out the sector’s cultural issues. Almost seven years on, on-site product inspection and maintenance practices haven’t improved sufficiently. The Construction Leadership Council discovered 92% of product manufacturers did not see digitisation as a major concern, and more than half saw ‘no need to digitise’. Many understood digitisation as using computers, instead of a comprehensive approach to maintaining and integrating critical safety information.


“WITHOUT ACCESSIBLE PRODUCT DATA, CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUES CAN REMAIN HIDDEN.”


The industry is clearly not meeting post-Grenfell regulatory requirements for digitising product information. Digitisation forms part of the requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022, so industry professionals urgently need to implement the golden thread to ensure they are complying with the new laws.


THE RISKS OF SILOED PRACTICES Manufacturers, installers, inspectors, and landlords often work in isolation, focusing solely on their tasks without considering the broader impact on other building lifecycle stages. This disconnect causes a lack of communication, with no ‘golden thread’ to


38


If a golden thread had been available, these flaws could have been identified, enabling the fire doors to perform their critical safety function. The golden thread isn’t merely a legal hoop for the industry to jump through: it is a fundamental change to ensure industries work together and buildings are safe.


IMPLEMENTING THE GOLDEN THREAD


Technological advances have made it easier to maintain the golden thread. However, these alone are not enough. There is a lack of workers trained to understand the entire lifecycle of safety products like fire doors.


Fire Door Maintenance (FDM by UAP Ltd) is the UK’s first practical fire door training centre, covering everything from regulation compliance to how and why components were chosen in product engineering, and how products are installed for end users. This, and FDM’s advocation for a central register of qualified industry operatives, is done with the aim of establishing a golden thread of best practice across the industry.


By fostering deeper understanding and ensuring seamless collaboration across the construction process, we can uphold the golden thread. This commitment is not just about legal compliance – it safeguards lives and ensures that tragedies like Grenfell never happen again.


https://fdmltd.co.uk WWW.TOMORROWSHS.COM


link information throughout construction. Without accessible product data, critical safety issues can remain hidden.


Siloed practices have had fatal consequences. The Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 report highlighted catastrophic failings in the tower’s fire safety practices. Inspection and maintenance regimes were inconsistently followed– not just for the building’s cladding, but for the very fire doors that were designed to protect lives. Self-closing devices either failed or were missing entirely, exacerbating the fire’s spread and obstructing escape routes. This tragic mistake cost lives.


“THE CONSTRUCTION LEADERSHIP COUNCIL DISCOVERED 92% OF PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS DID NOT SEE DIGITISATION AS A MAJOR CONCERN, AND MORE THAN HALF SAW ‘NO NEED TO DIGITISE’.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48