The Golden Thread ensures people responsible for a building will have easily accessible, reliable, up to date and accurate information. 

What is the Golden Thread? 

Following the Grenfell fire, the Building Safety Act, which was the foundation of the new building safety regime for the construction sector, introduced the requirement for a Golden Thread of information for Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs). 

The Golden Thread describes the information and documents that must be collated and stored to safely occupy, manage and operate a HRB throughout its life cycle. According to the Fire Protection Association, the thread should be the single source of truth when it comes to the building, and this information includes but is not limited to: 

• Information and documents produced for registration and certification 

• Inspection regimes 

• Maintenance information 

• Safety critical information 

• Refurbishment specific details 

• The gateway processes  

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Under the legislation and using the Golden Thread, those responsible for the building must: 

• Show that the completed building and any later building work meets the requirements of applicable building regulations  

• 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 building’s life cycle  

The Golden Thread comprises of two parts: building work and maintenance. This ensures that any modifications or enhancements to the building are accurately documented and enables building owners to proactively identify potential risks or hazards and take corrective action.  

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When does the Golden Thread start? 

The Golden Thread needs to be created before building work starts and the information must be kept updated throughout the design and construction process. 

When the building work is completed, the thread must be handed over to the Accountable Person(s), who is responsible for the occupied building. 

It’s required for the building’s information to be: 

• Kept digitally  

• Capable of being transferred electronically without data being lost or corrupted 

• Accurate and up to date 

• Intelligible to the intended readers of the data, with any key needed to understand it provided 

• Accessible and made available to other duty holders on request 

• Secure from unauthorised access 

• Only changed in accordance with procedures which record the person who made the change and the date 

• Consistent in language, terminology and definitions 

The duties to keep the Golden Thread updated are placed on those carrying out building works, participating in the design and the construction process and managing structural and fire safety in the building. Therefore, Sentinel also plays a role in the responsibility of adding to the Golden Thread. 

Mark Stewart, Director of Sentinel Contracting PLC, says:   

“At Sentinel, we are deeply committed to the safety and integrity of every building we work on. Our adherence to the Golden Thread principles is not merely a regulatory compliance matter; it’s a foundational aspect of how we operate. We understand that maintaining a Golden Thread of information is essential to safeguard the lives of those who live and work in the buildings we are responsible for. It is a responsibility I take personally and seriously.” 

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A track record for delivering safe buildings 

As a built-in fire protection contractor, we have a proven track record of delivering technical solutions in the design and installation of complex passive fire protection systems. 

Our system includes implementation, operation, maintenance and daily updating. This includes work record sheets, Identification Labels , location drawings and photographic logs. Unique Identification Numbers are also allocated to a traceable location of each individual fire stopping seal through fire compartment walls and floors on the project.  

This information is managed accurately and uploaded to the thread, meaning it can be easily passed directly onto the client, landlord or building manager. 

60 London Wall: Achieving 80% less environmental impact 

To rework a 1980s office building into 20,000 sq. ft of modern, retail space and 325,000 sq. ft of workspace for Skanska, Sentinel designed an innovative new sponge media blasting solution.  

Sentinel was asked to search the market for alternative solutions because traditional media blasting systems would be prohibited under the environmental controls for this project. Therefore, the real challenge was to develop a blasting system that reduced dust contamination in operation, reduced environmental impact and decreased the amount of disposal of contaminated waste. 

As the first of its kind in UK construction, this solution resulted in greatly minimised environmental impact. Massively reducing dust and, because it’s recyclable, also greatly reduced the actual tonnage of media required compared to other products. 

If this system is applied to future blasting works within the UK, the environmental impact of waste media would be reduced up to 80%. That’s 80% less product, 80% less landfill, 80% less delivery cost, 80% less disposal cost.  

Read the full case study here. 

Spelthorne Leisure Centre: Pioneering fire protection solution 

Sustainable construction design was accomplished by Sentinel at Spelthorne Leisure Centre, one of the world’s most advanced, energy efficient Passivhaus developments.  

Our skilful Firestopping Division delivered an innovative fire protection solution using Envirograf, a clear intumescent coating for all types of timber. We sprayed HWAP, HW02N and HW clear coatings onto exposed CLT, which resulted in a high-quality fire-proof coating. Ideal for upgrading new and already coasted timber and wood related surfaces. Tested to BS4’76 and UK Building Regulations.  

An excellent example of our industry leading expertise, helping Willmott Dixon’s commitment to innovation, quality and environmental responsibility. 

Read the full case study here.