Dame Judith Hackitt’s final report on her independent review of building regulations and fire safety made a number of recommendations for building a new regulatory framework to drive “real culture change and the right behaviours” in the construction industry. A particularly interesting aspect of the report is the emphasis on culture and practice as being key to driving change.

One principal focus of the report is the creation of a “golden thread of building information”. Hackitt’s interim report in December 2017 introduced this concept as a way of ensuring that “the original design intent is preserved and recorded, and any changes go through a formal review process involving people who are competent and who understand the key features of the design”.

To create this “golden thread”, the final report recommends the creation of a digital record for any higher-risk residential buildings (HRRBs) from design intent through to construction and occupation. One reason for this is that the report finds that safety information often cannot be accessed or found by those who need it. 

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