CIBSE and the Society of Digital Engineering (SDE) are launching a new series of conferences, designed to provide clarity and a practical understanding of the Building Safety Act and the Golden Thread requirements for building and fire safety professionals.
The first event will take place in London on 14 September, and the series will address key questions around who and what the Act effects, how it will be regulated and how to make sure professionals are working in compliance with it.
The first event will provide an overview of the Building Safety Act, what constitutes a higher-risk building and the introduction of new regulators and committees. It will look at liability and enforcement and how to navigate potential conflicts or competing requirements.
Attendees will hear from authors of the legislation on how the Golden Thread effects engineers, building owners, facilities, and estate managers, building professionals and contractors. They will be addressing key questions, defining which buildings are higher-risk and where, when, and how the Building Safety Act applies.
The Golden Thread relates to the management, recording and accessibility of information about a building, enabling someone to understand the building and keep it safe. It refers to how this information is managed, ensuring that it is accurate, up to date, secure, clear and accessible to those who need it.
The first conference coincides with the launch of BS 8644-1:2022 (Digital management of fire safety information. Part 1: Design, construction, handover, asset management and emergency response – Code of practice). This standard describes the requirements for digitally managing building safety information, as asked for by Dame Judith Hackett in her report, Building a Safer Future.
The concepts outlined in the new standard have been tested by a large group of construction professionals as part of the Golden Thread Initiative. Attendees will be hearing from them, with an overview of the testing process and an insight into the practical requirements for compliance and improved data management.
Carl Collins, CIBSE Head of Digital Engineering, explains: “The Building Safety Act, the Golden Thread Initiative and BS 8644-1:2022 are the primary pillars of change that the construction industry must embrace to prevent future disasters, such as the Grenfell fire, happening again. It is also there to give voice to the residents of higher risk buildings and provide fire and rescue services the information they need to tackle fires and evacuate people. Tighter regulation of the design, construction and operation of buildings and the products that comprise them, is long overdue.”
The conferences will be designed to provide a platform to share knowledge and define best practice. The aim is to give people confidence in understanding and meeting the new requirements. CIBSE and the SDE say they are committed to ensuring that the right information is available to the right people at the right time, making buildings safer, throughout their life cycle.
With over 30 pieces of secondary legislation still to be introduced, this series will address the most pressing issues as they arise. Future conference dates and titles will be announced accordingly.
The first conference, the Building Safety Act: The Consultation and the Golden Thread will be taking place in London on 14 September 2022.
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