The UK Government has published a report which provides an overview of the development of golden thread policy, and how it has been progressed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The report provides greater clarity on the golden thread policy and the changes it will require the industry to make, and how digital standards will underpin implementation of the golden thread of information. It defines the golden thread as "the information that allows you to understand a building and the steps needed to keep both the building and people safe, now and in the future."
The golden thread sets out those responsible for the building are required to:
- Show that the building was compliant with applicable building regulations during its construction and provide evidence of meeting the requirements of the new building control route throughout the design, construction, and refurbishment of a building
- Identify, understand, manage, and mitigate building safety risks to prevent or reduce the severity of the consequences of fire spread or structural collapse throughout the life cycle of a building
A digital form of information will be vital as the report states "The golden thread information should be stored as structured digital information. It will be stored, managed, maintained and retained in line with the golden thread principles. The government will specify digital standards which will provide guidance on how the principles can be met."
It should be noted that one form of digital structured data is through BIM Product Data Sheets which are derived from Product Data Templates - GAI have produced 35 of these for members to download from here. Whilst this policy will be mandated in England via the Building Safety Bill, it will also be recommended for use throughout the UK in the upcoming British Standard BS 8644 1.
The report can be downloaded from here