The Golden Thread Is a Client Duty
- Paul Scanlon
- Jul 30
- 1 min read
The Golden Thread is a client responsibility. Most clients think it belongs to the contractor.
Under the Building Safety Act, the Golden Thread is the live record of building safety information — created, stored and maintained across the building's life.
The common assumption is that the contractor builds it and hands it over.
The client duty holder owns more than that.
The client is responsible for providing the electronic facility that stores the Golden Thread, and the procedures that control how it is accessed and maintained.
That is a system and governance duty, not a document you receive at handover.
If no one has set up where the Golden Thread lives and who maintains it, the client has not discharged the duty — regardless of how good the contractor's records are.
A pile of O&M files on a server is not a Golden Thread. The structure, access control and maintenance process are the duty.
This is one of the most misallocated responsibilities under the new regime, and it sits with the client.
On your higher-risk projects, who has been made responsible for the facility that holds the Golden Thread — and the procedures around it?
Get your free Client Guide to CDM 2015 here: cdm2015.co.uk/resource-download
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