Feature
Understanding And Observing The Golden Thread
Bureau Veritas’ Director, Marc Bradfield, outlines some key observations of the ‘golden thread’ for facilities managers.
The concept of the ‘golden thread’ under the Building Safety Act 2022 is often perceived as complex and daunting, but it fundamentally revolves around ensuring that the right information is available to the right people at the right time.
This principle is vital across all design stages, from the initial concept through to the delivery and construction process to ensure that duty holders identify, understand, manage, and mitigate building safety risks throughout a building’s life-cycle – in essence it’s a digital record that has been designed to help not hinder the entire process from the outset of design, through construction and during occupation.
Whilst the legal concept of the golden thread is specific to Higher-Risk
Buildings, it can be seen to be an
important concept to enable the management of any building in a safe manner.
It is relevant to design work, building work and
maintenance to ensure compliance with legal duties and ensure building safety is at the forefront at all times. Once established, during occupation, for example, modifications or enhancements to a building are accurately documented and enable
building owners
to proactively identify potential risks or hazards and take corrective action throughout a building’s lifecycle.
Some of the most critical principles are: 1. Right information at the right time: Ensuring that
all stakeholders, from architects to contractors, to facilities managers, have access to accurate and up-to-date information.
28 fmuk Higher-Risk Buildings
We are now moving beyond a time of what, for many, often seemed like endless debates and webinars providing updates and opinions of what the new regime under the Building Safety Act 2022 may look like. Many are now taking their first steps into projects that necessitate them to think differently about how they as individuals and their organisations approach delivery of design and building work. This is regardless of whether they are dealing with what may be classified as a Higher- Risk Building (HRB) or indeed a non-HRB. This extends from new duties for individuals with a focus on competence on all schemes controlled under building regulations through to the new procedural requirements for a HRB.
These principles ensure that safety information
is not only available but also actionable, allowing for effective management of building throughout its life.
2. Proportionate to the scheme: The level of detail
in the golden thread should be appropriate to the size and complexity of the building.
3. Electronic format: All information must be stored
electronically to ensure consistency and accessibility. 4. Accountability and security: Information must
be secure, accountable, understandable, consistent, simple to access, and durable.
5. Principal accountable person: In the case of a high-rise residential building, there must be a designated individual, often the facilities manager, who knows the building inside out and is responsible for managing its safety.
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