The Golden Thread of Information is one of the central requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022. Many Accountable Persons know they need a Golden Thread but are unclear about what it must contain, how it must be stored, and what the BSR expects.
The Golden Thread is a complete, up-to-date digital record of all information about a higher-risk building from design through to occupation. It must be maintained throughout the life of the building and made available to the BSR on request.
The Higher-Risk Buildings Regulations 2024 specify 14 mandatory document categories:
- Fire Strategy and Fire Risk Assessment — under RR(FS)O 2005
- Structural Information — under BSA 2022 Schedule 1
- External Wall System Information — cladding and insulation under PAS 9980:2022
- Electrical Installation Records — EICR certificates under Electrical Safety Standards Regs 2020
- Gas Safety Records — annual certificates under Gas Safety Regulations 1998
- Lift Inspection Records — under LOLER 1998
- Asbestos Management Plan — under CAR 2012
- Water Safety Risk Assessment — Legionella risk assessment under HSE L8
- Evacuation and Emergency Procedures — including PEEPs
- Resident Engagement Records — under BSA 2022 Section 91
- Maintenance and Inspection Logs
- Dutyholder and Key Personnel Register
- Safety Case Report
- Mandatory Occurrence Reports
The Golden Thread must be stored digitally with version control, audit trail, security, and accessibility to residents and the BSR. SharePoint folders and email inboxes do not satisfy BSR requirements — a structured digital compliance system is required.
The BSR looks for completeness across all 14 categories, adequacy of documents, and currency — whether documents are up to date. In 2025, 27% of BAC applications failed, mostly due to missing or inadequate Golden Thread documentation.
MachSafe's Golden Thread Library organises all 14 categories with version control, expiry tracking, and an immutable audit trail.