Ever since Grenfell Tower, the construction sector has undergone rapid change to deliver on safe, risk averse buildings where the tragedy of Grenfell Tower would never be repeated.

In May 2018, Dame Judith Jackitt published a report titled “Building a Safer Future”. The biggest takeaway was that a “golden thread” of digital information should be introduced to industry to address problems with key information not being effectively stored, managed, and available throughout the life cycle of a building.

To prepare for the Building Safety Act clauses, which are putting a legal duty on Dutyholders and Accountable persons to create, obtain, store and share information about their building in a prescribed format, individuals and organizations must understand the definition and principles of the golden thread and how they can implement this across their projects.

New measures in the Building Safety Act will:

• Ensure there are clearly identified people responsible for safety during the design, build and occupation of a high-rise residential building (18m/7 storeys and above)

• Establish a Building Safety Regulator to hold to account those who break the rules and are not properly managing building safety risks, including taking enforcement action where needed.

• Give residents of in-scope buildings more routes to raise concerns about safety, and mechanisms to ensure their concerns will be heard and taken seriously.

• Extend the rights to compensation for substandard workmanship and unacceptable defects.

• Drive the culture change needed across the industry to enable the design and construction of high-quality, safe homes in the years to come.

The Golden Thread’s role in the construction industry

The golden thread not only facilitates a clear understanding of a building now and in the future, but also plays a key part in the wider digital transformation of the built environment, which will deliver economic growth, better public services, and help lower carbon emissions and greater sustainability.

Key Takeaways:

• The Building a Safer Future report kick-started the need for key information throughout the life cycle of a building to be stored and managed by digital means

• Dutyholders and accountable persons must legally create, obtain, store and share information about their building in an accessible, digital format

• Individuals and organizations must understand the meaning of the golden thread and how they can implement this across projects

• Golden thread is a step closer towards the digital transformation of the built environment with more attention to safety and sustainability