The golden thread is all the information needed to demonstrate compliance with regulations and to manage safety risks (fire and structural) in a higher-risk building. It must record all aspects of a building’s lifecycle, from design through occupation and refurbishment, to ensure the building remains safe and compliant throughout its lifetime. This guidance focuses on how to structure, include and use the information in the golden thread.
The golden thread should not be viewed as an extra document compiled at the end of each project stage. It is a legally required digital information management system; functioning as a “single source of truth” that is continuously referenced and updated throughout the design, construction and management of higher-risk buildings.