Understanding the different roles involved in the golden thread is essential for anyone responsible for safety in the built environment. The golden thread of information is not controlled by one person or organisation. Instead, it is handled between clearly defined duty holders as a building moves through its life cycle. When roles are well understood, it becomes far easier to manage buildings safely and meet legal duties with confidence.

The idea of a golden thread gained momentum after the Building Safety Act and the work of Dame Judith Hackitt, who highlighted how unclear accountability had contributed to serious safety failures. The golden thread exists to solve that problem by ensuring that accurate, up-to-date information is available to those responsible for the building at every stage. To make this work in practice, each role must understand what they are responsible for and how it connects to others involved.

What the Golden Thread Is and Why Roles Matter

The golden thread of information is a digital record that explains how a building has been designed, constructed, and is being managed in line with applicable building regulations. It provides evidence that safety risks have been considered properly and that decisions made during building work remain visible long after construction is complete.

The golden thread doesn’t start when residents move in. It begins before work starts on site and continues throughout the design and construction phase, remaining active for the entire life cycle of the building. Because buildings change over time, the information that describes them must change too. This is why the golden thread is described as a single source of truth rather than a static set of documents.

Responsibility for the golden thread does not stay with one role from beginning to end. Instead, it shifts as the building moves from designing and constructing to occupation and ongoing management.

The Client’s Role in Establishing the Golden Thread

The client plays a crucial role in setting up the golden thread from the very beginning. From a legal perspective, the client is responsible for making sure the right systems and appointments are in place so that building information can be managed properly.

At the early stages of a project, the client must ensure that the golden thread is created digitally and that it can support version control, secure access, and long-term storage. This often includes decisions around building information modelling (BIM) or other digital platforms used to organise information.

The client is also responsible for appointing competent principal designers and principal contractors. This is not simply an administrative step. The client must be satisfied that these appointments are capable of meeting their legal duties and contributing effectively to the golden thread of information. While certain tasks can be delegated, overall responsibility remains with the client.

The Principal Designer and Control of Design Information

The principal designers have a central role during the design and construction phase. Their responsibility goes far beyond producing drawings or coordinating consultants. They are responsible for making sure that design information linked to safety is accurate, complete, and kept up to date as the design evolves.

This includes showing how the design complies with applicable building regulations and recording why key decisions were made. When changes occur, the principal designer must ensure those changes are assessed carefully, documented clearly, and shared with the right people. Poorly controlled design changes are a common source of risk in complex projects.

The golden thread depends on design information being clear and usable by others long into the future. Decisions made early on can affect fire strategy, access for maintenance, or structural performance years later. The principal designer is responsible for ensuring that this information is not lost or misunderstood.

The Principal Contractors and What Is Actually Built

Once building work begins, much of the responsibility for the golden thread shifts to the principal contractors. Their role is to make sure that what is built on site matches the approved design and that there is clear evidence to support this.

This includes recording materials used, construction methods, inspections carried out, and any changes made during the build. If substitutions or variations are introduced, these must be reviewed, approved, and properly recorded.

The golden thread is concerned with reality, not intention. Principal contractors are responsible for ensuring the digital record reflects what has actually been constructed, not just what was planned. This information becomes vital once the building is occupied and those responsible rely on accurate records to manage safety.

Handover and the Transfer of Responsibility

When construction is completed, responsibility for the golden thread does not end. It transfers. This stage is often underestimated, yet it is one of the most important points in the entire process.

Information gathered during design and construction must be handed over in a format that can be accessed, understood, and maintained by the next responsible party. The receiving individual must be able to rely on that information without needing to recreate it.

Where the golden thread has been treated as a compliance task rather than a living record, problems often appear at handover. Missing documents, unclear records, or systems that are difficult to use all reduce the value of the information.

The Accountable Person and Managing Buildings in Occupation

Once a higher-risk building is occupied, responsibility for the golden thread usually sits with the accountable person. This role involves managing buildings in a way that controls fire and structural risks throughout daily use.

The accountable person is responsible for keeping the golden thread of information accurate and up to date. This includes recording maintenance work, inspections, refurbishments, and any changes that could affect safety. The information must support ongoing risk management rather than simply exist for record-keeping.

They must also be able to show how they manage and mitigate building safety risks using the information available. At this stage, the golden thread becomes a practical tool that supports decisions, safety planning, and communication with residents and regulators.

The Principal Accountable Person and Coordinated Oversight

In more complex buildings where there are multiple accountable persons, a principal accountable person is appointed. This role exists to provide coordination and consistency across the building.

The principal accountable person ensures that shared systems are used correctly, that information standards are aligned, and that responsibilities are clearly understood. They are responsible for maintaining oversight so that the golden thread remains a single source of truth rather than becoming fragmented.

Without this coordination, information can quickly become duplicated or inconsistent, making it harder to manage safety effectively.

The Role of the Building Safety Regulator

The building safety regulator does not manage the golden thread but relies on it to carry out oversight and enforcement. The regulator uses the information to assess compliance, investigate concerns, and take action where necessary.

Those responsible for the building must be able to provide information from the golden thread when requested. This requirement highlights the importance of keeping information accurate, accessible, and well organised. Information that cannot be retrieved or understood offers little protection.

The involvement of the building safety regulator reinforces that the golden thread is a legal requirement, not an optional internal process.

Other Roles That Interact With the Golden Thread

Many other roles interact with the golden thread throughout a building’s life cycle. Designers, specialist contractors, facilities managers, and maintenance teams all contribute information at different stages. Emergency services may rely on it during incidents, while residents may receive selected information to help them understand how safety is managed.

These roles do not replace the main duty holders, but they show why the golden thread must be clear, accessible, and capable of lasting over time.

Digital Tools and Supporting Compliance

Managing the golden thread effectively would be extremely difficult without digital tools. Systems such as building information modelling BIM, document management platforms, and structured data environments help support this requirement.

MosaicGT provides a golden thread app that helps track and manage compliance information across the life cycle of a building. The app supports those responsible for the golden by providing a structured way to manage documentation, changes, and records over time.

Why Clear Roles Make the Golden Thread Work

The success of the golden thread depends on people understanding their responsibilities. Each stage of a building’s life brings different risks and decisions. When those responsibilities are clearly defined and passed on correctly, the golden thread delivers real value.

Understanding the different roles involved in the golden thread is not only about meeting legal duties. It is about creating buildings that remain safe, understandable, and manageable long after construction is complete. When maintained properly, the golden thread of information becomes a practical asset rather than a burden.