This article explores how BIM can help building owners with Building Safety Act compliance.

The prioritisation of building safety has never been as big of a focal point as it is today. Ensuring our buildings are resilient for the future, protect human life and instil trust and confidence in their occupants is crucial as our population grows and more infrastructure is required.  

The Grenfell Tower disaster and the subsequent introduction of the Building Safety Act underscored the importance of building safety for building owners.  

But how can Building Information Modelling (BIM) help support building owners in complying with the Act?

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a smart process that changes the way we plan, build and take care of buildings and all kinds of infrastructure.   

Contrary to popular belief, it’s much more than a digital 3D model outcome. BIM uses all kinds of data about buildings and their zones, floors, spaces and more, in both graphical (I.e. the 3D BIM Model) and non-graphical (I.e. COBie data).   

The BIM process helps everyone who is involved in a project, and those responsible for the built asset beyond handover, to work together and share important information. This reduces project and lifecycle risks associated with time, cost, quality and safety.

The category for Best Use of Tech in Property looks for companies who are embracing, investing, and creating new technologies to improve efficiency, speed up production and bring sector-wide benefits. 

With a bold vision for organising the world’s building information to enable the creation of more efficient environments for everyone, Operance is fusing award-winning industry building information modelling expertise with ground-breaking technology. 

“We’ve been developing our own pioneering software to define, curate, audit and maintain building operations and maintenance (O&M) information,” says Scott Pilgrim, Chief Product Officer at Operance.  

“Our vision to create a digital ‘golden thread’ of lifecycle information is completely aligned to that of new building and fire safety legislation aimed at preventing another disaster like Grenfell, it’s imperative leading industry professionals come together in this way to drive fundamental and lasting change.”

Tom Oulton and Scott Pilgrim (Photo: Shaun Flannery)

Operance’s new information management platform, Operance O&M, is a purpose-built desktop application designed to help estates teams, developers and operators request operations and maintenance information to help manage new facilities and assets. It enables designers, contractors and project managers to semi-automate the coordination and checking of the data, making it easier to hand over. End-users can then search, share, edit and update the information from the palm of their hand thanks to their Operance FM mobile application.  

The solution provides an immutable ‘quantum ledger’, built on blockchain technology, to produce a secure lifecycle record of high-quality building safety and asset information, the ‘golden thread’. 

Operance’s Digital Transformation Lead, Tom Oulton, one of the country’s leading BIM professionals said: “We’re on the cusp of revolutionary change to the design, construction and management of our built environment. 

“Following Grenfell, we must take this opportunity to work collectively to ensure it’s never repeated. This is a chance to affect change that we must not let pass us by.” 

“The whole team is thrilled to be shortlisted for Best Use of Tech in Property by Insider Yorkshire,” Scott adds. 

“We can’t wait to celebrate with all those shortlisted across the various categories in September, they are some of the most exciting property companies in our region.” 

Insider Yorkshire Property Industry Awards 2021 takes place on Thursday 30 September 2021 at New Dock Hall, Leeds.  

To arrange a demo of the Operance O&M software, call Tom Oulton on 07735 123166 or drop him an email at tom.oulton@operance.app. 

O&M files have been traditionally created and stored in ring binders and describe the components of the building, how it was designed and built and how it should be looked after. However, many companies realised that finding information this way was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. 

Businesses then started to digitise information, saving information to PDF files in digital folders, CDs and memory sticks, and eventually in common data environments (CDEs) and BIM models supplemented with COBie data.

The challenge then is to bring it all together in one easy format and enable anyone to update it all, at any time, from anywhere.

As a result of the mixed formats of information, it’s common for O&M data to be stored in a variety of places, rather than in one place that’s easy to access. 

For example, some information could be stored on a memory stick and others in the cloud, while another file could live in the office on a shelf. 

The inability to find information relating to what, when, where, who, why and how your facilities are designed, built and maintained results in a lack of ownership, accountability and sustainability. 

While the industry has slowly adopted digital, the data still remains largely unusable because the digital systems have become just another dumping ground for information. 

It’s not easy for someone to search and find what they need, so the information becomes obsolete and isn’t used for the purpose it’s intended for.  The addition of so many formats now accentuates this problem further, meaning that whilst the client and users are getting more information, it is becoming of less value due to the lack of ability to search through the information as one.

Just because you’ve ‘digitalised’ your traditional paper O&Ms, it doesn’t necessarily make them any smarter.

First you had paper O&Ms, then you had Digital O&M’s, but don’t be fooled into thinking they are any smarter than paper, it’s still an array of information that can still be difficult to search, share, edit and maintain with no way of easily transferring and keeping up to date with Computer-Aided Facilities Management  (CAFM) platforms.

PDF’s, Microsoft Office documents and others are often inefficient and ineffective in helping manage planned and preventative maintenance. You still, for instance, have the issue of transferring data from one format into your chosen platform for a start, which is more often than not, a manual exercise taking up many hours of resource. Neither can the information be requested and coordinated through supply-chain management solutions or audited efficiently through Common Data Environments (CDE) tied into your latest BIM models.

With more pressure on estate owners and facilities managers to provide a Golden Thread of building and fire safety information means a radical change is needed in developing O&M. 

Owners need to invest in transforming how they request, store and maintain their digital building information to avoid non-compliance, penalties and danger to life. 

At Operance, we’re providing software and support services to those wanting to digitise their O&Ms and make them smarter for your organisation. 

By replacing paper-based files, bringing everything into one place and building quality information that is standardised, accurate and accessible, our O&M management software aims to create safer, more efficient buildings and environments.

Built by construction people for construction people, Operance really is paving the way for a new breed of O&Ms. Operance is a new generation CDE, supply-chain database, CAFM system, golden thread log and asset management solution in one.

Developers are required to provide a Golden Thread of information that spans the entire lifecycle of old and new facilities. But who is responsible for the Golden Thread of building safety information? We explain everything in this quick guide. 

The responsibility of your Golden Thread changes depending on whether your project is in the Design and Construction phase or the Occupational phase. Essentially the person in charge of submitting the information depends on whether tenants have moved into your building or if your building is still in development.

Need to take step back and find out what the Golden Thread is first? Click here.

We’ve previosuly outlined everything you need to know about the Golden Thread and how to create and maintain your digital record of building safety information. Clink on the button below to read our helpful article.

Alternatively, hit play on our short explainer video here…

Dutyholder

The person responsible for the Golden Thread in the Design and Construction phase is known as the Dutyholder. This can be an individual or a legal entity, and they can hold more than one role in your building project.

Appointing the Client as the dutyholder. 

The client – the person or organisation that the project is being carried out for – can be appointed as the Golden Thread dutyholder. 

Appointing a Principal Designer as the dutyholder. 

The Principal Designer can also be appointed as the Golden Thread dutyholder. 

They are appointed by the client under Construction (Design and Management) 2015 (CDM 2015) when there is more than one contractor working on the building project to plan, manage, monitor and coordinate the pre-construction phase when most design work is carried out. The Principal Designer is in control of the pre-construction phase so could make an ideal candidate for the dutyholder. 

Appointing a Designer as the dutyholder. 

A designer can also be chosen as your Golden Thread dutyholder. This is usually a person or company who is connected to the project in the Design and Construction phase as they have prepared or modified a design for the project, making them a good candidate for the role. 

Appointing a Principal Contractor as the dutyholder. 

Your Principal Contractor can also be appointed as a dutyholder. 

This is the contractor who has been appointed by the client under CDM 2015 when there is more than one contractor working on the building project. Their responsibilities usually include planning, managing, monitoring or coordinating the construction phase, making them a suitable choice for submitting the required Golden Thread information.

Appointing a Contractor as the dutyholder. 

A contractor can also be your dutyholder for the Golden Thread information. This person or company usually controls the construction stage of your project and so would be an appropriate choice to be responsible for creating and maintaining your Golden Thread information during the Design and Construction phase of your project. 

Who is responsible for the Golden Thread during Occupation?

Accountable Person (AP)

During the Occupation phase, it’s the Accountable Person (AP) who is responsible for maintaining your Golden Thread of building information. 

They are responsible for registering existing and new occupied buildings and applying for a Building Assurance Certificate (BAC) and is required to comply with all the statutory obligations on an ongoing basis.

The AP is the dutyholder during the Occupation phase. They may be an individual, partnership or corporate body and there may be more than one Accountable Person for a building. 

Building Safety Manager (BSM)

The AP nominates a Building Safety Manager (BSM) to continue maintaining and updating the information to record the ongoing safety of the building. 

The BSM can be either an individual or organisation that must have the organisational capability and relevant skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours to support the Accountable Person in the day-to-day management of fire and structural safety in the building.

How to get started and begin creating the Golden Thread
Our ‘Operance 4-Step Golden Thread Solution’ breaks down the process of creating and maintaining the golden thread and developing a digital estate into four simple, easy to follow steps.

Step 1 – Define:

To help organisations take the first step, our Operance DX team develop your organisation information requirements. They help understand your owners, operators and occupiers in-use information needs and create a tailored set of requirements using the expected building safety bill requirements as a foundation. Contact Tom, our Digital Transformation Lead here for a chat today about your digital ambitions.

Step 2 – Curate:

Our award-winning Operance BIM team then helps curate your digital building information on both legacy and new buildings ensuring information is accurate, complete and fit for use. Contact Ian, our BIM Lead here for a chat today about BIM management, coordination and BIM Information Management.

Step 3 – Audit:

Operance O&M is the first purpose-built desktop application to define, curate, audit and maintain the golden thread in one place. It is a common data environment (CDE), O&M coordination tool and supply chain database solution in one. It provides an immutable ‘quantum ledger’, built on blockchain technology, to produce a secure lifecycle record of high-quality building safety and asset information. Contact Scott, our O&M Lead here or on 07939 808441 for a chat today about O&M software and our physical O&M Information Management and Coordination service.

Step 4 – Maintain: 

Our user-friendly Operance FM mobile application enables owners, operators and occupiers to easily search, share, update and use your building safety and asset information for simple property and facilities management. Our Smart HUG (Home User Guide) extension also enables tenants to access information in line with new building safety legislation. Contact Scott, our FM Lead here or on 07939 808441 for a chat today about FM software and our Smart HUG solution.

Operance is providing both practical expertise and software to the Golden Thread Initiative (GTI), a collaboration of industry professionals launched to trial Government proposals on the “golden thread”. 

The golden thread is a digital way of working to enable a systematic, controlled approach to the management of building safety information throughout the design, construction, refurbishment and management of occupied buildings. 

It was one of the key recommendations of the Hackitt Report into the failures that led to 72 people losing their lives in the Grenfell tragedy.

The process will produce an audit trail of information about a building, the decisions made about it and who made them. In doing so, it will provide increased accountability and ownership of decision-making through the design, build and occupation phases.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the purpose of the GTI is to bring together industry professionals to work collaboratively for the benefit of the built environment and to trial methods of producing a standardised digital golden thread for building safety information that will satisfy the requirements of the future Building Safety Regulator.

The GTI is working with the Government and the HSE as the future Building Safety Regulator to trial different ways of meeting the information management requirements to help prevent another tragedy and create a working prototype of the golden thread.

The eight-month initiative, led by housing association L&Q on behalf of MHCLG, launched in November and is split into specific working groups, in which industry experts from particular specialisms collaborate on exploring different standards and creating a working prototype of the golden thread. 

Participants from the GTI will produce a report for the Government later this year revealing the findings of its work, sharing lessons learned, and potential options on implementing a digital golden thread. 

As a leading digital estates software developer and consultancy practice, Operance was invited to join the GTI and is represented across several of the working groups, with a particular focus on information management technology, project management, information and process mapping and asset information collation.

The company is developing its own pioneering software to define, coordinate and audit building operations and maintenance (O&M) information.

Scott Pilgrim, Chief Product Officer at Operance, is a member of the GTI’s Information Management Platform working group.

He said: “It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to share our knowledge and expertise with the GTI to help transform the construction industry, making buildings safer and protecting lives.

“Our vision to create a digital golden thread is completely aligned to that of the GTI. A disaster like Grenfell must never be allowed to happen again and for that to happen, it’s imperative leading industry professionals come together in this way to drive fundamental and lasting change.

“As well as being able to provide our own insights through this forum, Operance’s participation in the project means we can listen and learn from all of those involved to understand fully what the industry needs.

“This will be a huge benefit to the development of our platform, ensuring it is truly revolutionary.”

Operance’s new information management platform, Operance O&M, is a purpose-built desktop-application to define, curate, audit and maintain information about a building from design to occupation. The solution provides an immutable ‘quantum ledger’, built on blockchain technology, to produce a secure lifecycle record of high-quality building safety and asset information.

Accurate and easy to understand building and asset information will be shared with owners, operators and occupiers via the pioneering Operance FM mobile-application, providing users with crucial detail in real-time via smart building and home user guides. 

With this building information in the palm of their hand, users can easily search, share, update and utilise their data to operate and maintain their facilities, whilst managing risks and continuously developing the golden thread.

Both the Operance O&M and Operance FM applications are currently in beta-testing with a full release planned for the summer.

Operance is offering a limited number of social housing associations and other organisations the opportunity to test the software and help shape features to suit their needs. 

To help social housing associations get ready for the new legislation and begin digitalising their portfolio, Operance is also providing strategic digital transformation and Building Information Modelling (BIM) consultancy services to enable them to define and articulate their digital estate ambitions. 

By creating robust systems and processes and coordinating their digital building information, Operance provides clients with the best possible chance of generating a quality golden thread and digital estates legacy in which to provide safer, more efficient homes.

Operance’s Digital Transformation Lead, Tom Oulton, one of the country’s leading BIM professionals, is a member of the GTI Project Management working group.

He said: “We’re on the cusp of revolutionary change to the design, construction and management of our built environment.

“Following Grenfell, we must take this opportunity to work collectively to ensure it’s never repeated. This is a chance to affect change that we must not let pass us by.”

The Hackitt Review was published in May 2018 following an independent review of building regulations and fire safety at Grenfell, led by Dame Judith Hackitt. It included 50 recommendations on how to improve the design, build and operation of buildings and facilities to make them safer and more efficient.

A public inquiry into the Grenfell disaster is ongoing. The first phase focused on the factual narrative of the events on the night of 14^th June, 2017.  The second phase of the inquiry is examining the causes of these events, including how Grenfell Tower came to be in a condition which allowed the fire to spread the way it did.

Any social housing association or other organisation that would like to take part in the beta test of the Operance software can register their interest by emailing beta@operance.app.

The Operance team is also available to provide advice and guidance about the implementation of the golden thread and what it will mean for the construction industry. Email info@operance.app to get in touch or, for more information, go to www.operance.app or follow @OperanceApp on Twitter or Operance on LinkedIn.

Any organisation that would like further information about the GTI should contact the Programme Manager Kirsty Villiers by emailing kvilliers@lqgroup.org.uk.

To speak to one of the team for more information, call 0800 464 3316.

The Golden Thread of building safety information is a digital document containing an accurate and up-to-date record of building data that spans the entire lifecycle of old and new facilities.

The term featured heavily in the final report of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, which was led by Dame Judith Hackett in 2017 after the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

New building legislation requires developers to provide this Golden Thread of information, which spans the entire lifecycle of old and new facilities.

Whilst this new demand for a breadth and depth of information places additional pressure on developers, housing associations and estate managers, the Golden Thread helps us to create safer, more efficient spaces for people to live – which, in our eyes, can only be a positive outcome.

But what does the Golden Thread mean for you and how are you going to deliver it?

We’ve outlined everything you need to know about the Golden Thread in this article below, alternatively, here’s a short video explainer…

The responsibility of the Golden Thread changes as the project progresses through two different phases: the Design and Construction Phase and the Occupational Phase.

During the Design and Construction phase, the development of the Golden Thread of building information is the responsibility of the ‘Dutyholder’.

The dutyholder may be fulfilled by either an individual or an organisation/legal entity. A dutyholder can hold more than one role in a building project. Some examples of dutyholders include:

• Client
• Principal Designer
• Designer
• Principal Contractor
• Contractor
• Building Safety Manager

The information gathered by the project team is verified by the dutyholder at the end of specific ‘Gateways’ during and at the end of the Design and Construction phase.

The dutyholder must present the Golden Thread when registering the building with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) so they can successfully obtain a Building Assurance Certificate (BAC).

The responsibility for the Golden Thread changes when you reach the Occupation Phase of the project.

The ongoing development of the information package throughout its lifecycle becomes the responsibility of a new dutyholder who becomes the named ‘Accountable Person (AP)‘.

They are responsible for registering existing and new occupied buildings and applying for a Building Assurance Certificate and is required to comply with all the statutory obligations on an ongoing basis.

The AP is the dutyholder during the Occupation phase. They may be an individual, partnership or corporate body and there may be more than one Accountable Person for a building.

The AP nominates a Building Safety Manager (BSM) to continue maintaining and updating the information to record the ongoing safety of the building.

The BSM can be either an individual or organisation that must have the organisational capability and relevant skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours to support the Accountable Person in the day-to-day management of fire and structural safety in the building.

Find out more about who is responsible for your Golden Thread: Access the guide.

Learn more about who you should appoint as your dutyholder and accountable person (AP).

The Golden Thread is required for all high-rise buildings (HRB) – residential buildings with a height of 18 metres or more.

In the future, this is likely to extend to include smaller buildings and asset-specific information.

Every time a building is changed or maintained, information reflecting those changes needs to be recorded.

The Golden Thread of building information is currently being defined as part of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) sponsored ‘Golden Thread Initiative’ project.

The Operance team is invited to participate in the project and share our experience and software to help define the information requirements and provide the first working example for the Golden Thread.

The final requirements of the Golden Thread will be defined in secondary legislation.

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What we know now is that your Golden Thread needs to contain accurate, up-to-date information about the design, construction and ongoing maintenance of buildings.

It’s likely that the legislation will require information about:

• Building Safety
• Fire Safety
• Structural Safety

However, it’s anticipated that, over time, more information will be required, such as Asset Information for assets that don’t fall within one of the above categories.

The Golden Thread is essentially a digital way of working that enables a systematic, controlled approach to construction, refurbishment and management of occupied buildings, to manage building safety information.

The best way to comply is to create a standardised digital package to make sure all your buildings and the assets within your estates develop uniform building safety information.

We’d recommend creating and controlling this data at the component level (the assets and elements of which make up the building) in three ways:

• What – What information is required. Use templates and checklists to define and audit standardised information.
• When – The timing of when and who supplies the information. Software platforms such as Operance O&M linked to master project programmes need to be used to plan and coordinate your information in a timely manner.
• Where – Where the information is stored. Implement an easy-to-use, open format and non-proprietary software (meaning that information and data can be easily accessed and shared between other digital platforms).

The specifics of what you need to include in your Golden Thread depends on the phase of your project. Below is a breakdown of the two Golden Thread phases and specific gateways at which you need to supply information.

Before construction can commence, the dutyholder must submit key Golden Thread information to the Building Safety Regulator.

This information includes but is not exclusive to:

• Specifications – detailed construction products, materials and component information, including important fire performance capabilities.
• Plans relating to how fire and structural safety risks will be managed.
• Models – digital 3D BIM representations of the building ‘as planned’.
• Fire Statement – details on fire service access and fire fighting water accessibility, which forms the foundation of the fire and emergency file.
• Construction Control Plan – how compliance with Building Regulations will be achieved and how changes will be controlled and recorded.

Major changes affecting any of the above items in relation to safety need to be agreed upon with the principal designer and client and approved by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) in advance.

In order to obtain and validate the information in a timely manner, the new Building Safety Bill process includes the introduction of three ‘Gateways‘:

• Gateway 1: before achieving planning permission.
• Gateway 2: before construction begins.
• Gateway 3: before handover.

The gateways are compliance ‘hard stops’, which require the responsible dutyholder to demonstrate to the new Building Safety Regulator (BSR) how they are actively managing risk. If they do not adequately comply, the BSR can stop the project from proceeding to the next stage of development.

The gateways during the Concept, Design and Construction phases align with the eight RIBA Plan of Works 2020 stages as follows:

The key golden thread information listed above must be submitted to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before the planning application is submitted.

The updated key Golden Thread information listed above must then be re-submitted to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before construction begins.

The updated key information is again presented by the dutyholder. Once the final gateway approval certificate is obtained, the Design and Construction phase dutyholer hands over their specific duties to the Accountable Person (AP). This ensures that the regulatory requirements beyond the gateways are met during the next stage: the Occupation Phase.

With all the information updated and reviewed throughout the Design and Construction Phase, the Golden Thread is presented to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) for review. Once satisfied, the BSR issues a Building Assurance Certificate (BAC), which permits occupation.

Note: This certificate could include certain conditions, such as requiring last-minute test certificates before a certain date. The certificate and safety case (identification of hazards and how to control inherent risks) is subject to review every five years.

Your responsibility for the Golden Thread never stops. It’s an ever-evolving process that spans across the facility’s full life story.

The Golden Thread is not something you can develop and complete, you can not employ someone to create it and ‘hand it over’. In fact, the recording and updating of building safety information continue up until the final decommissioning and demolition of the building.

Our ‘Operance 4-Step Golden Thread Plan’ breaks down the process of developing the golden thread and in doing start creating a digital estate into four simple, easy to follow steps.

Note: This certificate could include certain conditions, such as requiring last-minute test certificates before a certain date. The certificate and safety case (identification of hazards and how to control inherent risks) is subject to review every five years.

Your responsibility for the Golden Thread never stops. It’s an ever-evolving process that spans across the facility’s full life story.

The Golden Thread is not something you can develop and complete, you can not employ someone to create it and ‘hand it over’. In fact, the recording and updating of building safety information continue up until the final decommissioning and demolition of the building.

Step 1 – Define:

To help organisations take the first step, our Operance information managers develop your organisation information requirements. They help understand your owners, operators and occupiers in-use information needs and create a tailored set of requirements using the expected building safety bill requirements as a foundation.

Step 2 – Curate:

Our award-winning Operance BIM team then helps curate your digital building information on both legacy and new buildings ensuring information is accurate, complete and fit for use.

Step 3 – Access:

Operance O&M is the first purpose-built desktop application to define, curate, audit and maintain the golden thread in one place. It is a common data environment (CDE), O&M coordination tool and supply chain database solution in one. It provides an immutable ‘quantum ledger’, built on blockchain technology, to produce a secure lifecycle record of high-quality building safety and asset information.

Step 4 – Maintain:

Our user-friendly Operance FM mobile application enables owners, operators and occupiers to easily search, share, update and use your building safety and asset information for simple property and facilities management. Our Smart HUG (Home User Guide) extension also enables tenants to access information in line with new building safety legislation.