What do digitalised assets, drones, and golden threads have in common? Perhaps an unexpected answer: they’re all integral components of building safety and accountability within a property manager’s toolkit. But why are they so important, and why should you care?
The "golden thread" in construction: What does it mean?
The "golden thread" refers to a comprehensive chain of information about a building’s design, construction, quality, safety, and ongoing management. It covers every stage of a building’s lifecycle and is now a legal requirement under the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022). This new regulatory system formalises the obligation to store, maintain, and share building information in a digitalised and easily accessible format.
This golden thread of information is now required by law for all higher-risk building stock in England. These are defined as buildings with at least two residential units, and either:
- a height of 18 metres or more, or
- at least seven storeys.
The introduction of a golden thread for higher-risk buildings (HRBs) was one of the core recommendations following the Grenfell Tower fire disaster in 2017, aimed at improving building safety, accountability, and oversight.
Why is the golden thread so important?
The golden thread is designed to ensure that those responsible for building safety - accountable persons, design managers, and construction managers - have access to the correct information at all times to maintain a building’s safety.
Under the golden thread principles, building information must be:
- Stored in electronic format (digitalised) and capable of being transferred electronically;
- Bespoke, accurate, and up-to-date;
- Continuous, covering the building’s entire lifecycle (design, construction, operation, maintenance);
- Accessible to duty holders and relevant stakeholders upon request;
- Updated only in accordance with proper procedures, with clear documentation of who made changes and when.
Compliance with the golden thread is crucial, as failure to adhere to the Building Safety Act 2022 can result in severe penalties, including criminal charges and unlimited fines.
Why does this matter for housing associations and property managers?
In the UK, there are approximately 12,500 HRBs, with around 6,000 being owned by social housing providers.
The concept of the golden thread remains relatively new and its implementation may evolve, but as of January 2025 it is still a legal requirement to have one for all HRBs. This includes pre-existing higher-risk buildings, where responsibility for creating a golden thread and collating existing data falls on the Principal Accountable Person in charge of that property. Creating and maintaining a tailored golden thread for existing buildings is an enormous undertaking for landlords, Housing Associations (HAs) and property firms managing or owning this type of property.
The Grenfell Inquiry's Second Report (Sept 2024) recommended an urgent review of the current “unsatisfactory” definition of higher-risk buildings in the Building Safety Act 2022, and it is likely the definition of what constitutes a "higher-risk building" will change, expanding the scope to include buildings housing vulnerable occupants regardless of height.
While certain fire safety and management data is already required by the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, maintaining an up-to-date, digital, and comprehensive record for a building will require the collection of more data, and its digitalisation and centralisation in one accessible platform. This information will need to be regularly updated as part of ongoing building maintenance, refurbishment, and operations.
How can drones help with golden thread data collection?
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the process of gathering, collating and sharing building life-cycle data. This spans across a building's design, construction, operation and maintenance, and is a key component of compliance with golden thread regulations. BIM and digital twins enable the creation of a comprehensive digital record that can serve as the foundation for compliance management.
Vantage UAV’s drone services are transforming how housing associations, property managers, and construction firms approach building data collection. Drones can provide precise 3D models, detailed roof and facade inspections, thermal imaging, and more - all in real-time.
Compared to traditional inspection methods, drone inspections offer:
- Improved safety, by reducing the need for workers to access hazardous areas;
- Accurate, up-to-date data, which is essential for compliance with golden thread regulations;
- Cost-effectiveness, by reducing manual inspection times and resource allocation;
- Time efficiency, by collecting data quickly across large areas, overcoming access issues that traditional inspection methods often face.
Drones collect time-stamped, high-resolution data, which is then uploaded to a secure internal data management portal. This makes the information easily accessible, and it can be regularly updated, providing a comprehensive view of a property’s status.
This data is also fully traceable - critical for tracking any changes to a building over time, which is a key requirement of the golden thread legislation.
The future of building safety: Digitalising assets with the golden thread in mind
With building safety regulations under intense scrutiny following Grenfell, and the potential for more buildings to be included in the higher-risk classification in the near future, creating a digitalised asset that aligns with the golden thread regulations is essential for property managers.
Vantage UAV can assist housing associations, landlords, and property management firms in gathering accurate data, to ensure the golden thread compliance, and reduce inspection costs - all while improving building safety and demonstrating a commitment to regulatory compliance.
