Building Safety Act: Dutyholders, Competence & Golden Thread

Description

Course Overview

A building project can involve dozens of decisions, documents and professionals — but when something goes wrong, can you clearly identify who was responsible, whether they were competent, and where the evidence sits?

The Building Safety Act: Dutyholders, Competence & Golden Thread course gives construction and building-safety professionals a practical understanding of the modern UK building-safety framework. It focuses on the responsibilities of clients, designers, Principal Designers, contractors and Principal Contractors, alongside competence requirements, accountability and effective coordination.

The course also explores the golden thread of building-safety information — how it should be created, managed, maintained and made available throughout the relevant building lifecycle. Learners move from legal responsibilities to practical documentation, information management and real-world building-safety scenarios.

Who is this course for?

This course is suitable for construction professionals, project managers, building control professionals, designers, contractors, Principal Designers, Principal Contractors, building-safety professionals, compliance teams, facilities and property professionals, and health and safety personnel.

Is This Course Suitable for Beginners?

Yes. The course provides a practical introduction to the Building Safety Act and progressively explores dutyholder responsibilities, competence, the golden thread and compliance documentation. Previous specialist building-safety knowledge is not required.

Learning Outcomes

By completing this course, learners will be able to:

• Explain the purpose and key principles of the Building Safety Act and its significance for building safety and accountability.
• Identify principal dutyholder roles, including clients, designers, Principal Designers, contractors and Principal Contractors.
• Explain the responsibilities of clients when appointing competent professionals and overseeing building-safety compliance.
• Describe the responsibilities of Principal Designers and Principal Contractors throughout design and construction.
• Understand competence requirements and the importance of appropriate skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours.
• Understand how competence can be demonstrated, assessed and maintained.
• Explain the concept of the golden thread and its role in maintaining reliable, accessible and up-to-date building-safety information.
• Recognise the importance of effective information management, communication and coordination between dutyholders.
• Understand how building-safety documentation can support compliance, accountability and informed decision-making throughout the building lifecycle.
• Apply building-safety principles to practical scenarios and case studies.

Why This Course / Why This Training Is Necessary

Building safety is not the responsibility of one person at one stage of a project. It depends on a chain of decisions, appointments, competencies, information and responsibilities extending from design and construction through to handover and ongoing building management.

The Building Safety Act introduced a stronger framework for accountability across building work. Understanding who is responsible for what can therefore be important for anyone involved in design, construction, project management, compliance or building safety.

Competence needs more than a job title

A professional title or previous experience does not automatically demonstrate competence for every task. The modern building-safety framework places emphasis on having the appropriate skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours for the work being undertaken.

The course explores how competence can be considered, demonstrated and maintained, giving learners a clearer understanding of what competence means within their responsibilities.

The golden thread connects the information

A building can generate an enormous amount of information throughout its lifecycle. If critical safety information is incomplete, outdated or difficult to access, the people responsible for managing the building may not have the information they need.

The course explores the golden thread and practical approaches to maintaining reliable, accessible and usable building-safety information.

Responsibility follows the project lifecycle

Building safety does not begin when construction starts. Responsibilities and information management can extend across appointment, design, construction, handover and ongoing building management.

Understanding how dutyholders interact at different stages helps learners see how decisions and information can move through a project rather than treating each responsibility in isolation.

Documentation can tell the story of compliance

Good building-safety documentation does more than create an audit trail. It can help demonstrate decisions, clarify responsibilities, preserve important safety information and support informed decision-making.

The course therefore considers practical approaches to building-safety documentation and compliance strategies.

Coordination is part of the job

Clients, designers, contractors and other dutyholders do not operate in separate worlds. Effective building safety depends on communication, cooperation, coordination and appropriate information sharing between those involved.

Through practical scenarios and case studies, the course connects these responsibilities with real project situations, helping learners understand how the principles can translate into workplace practice.

Requirements

No previous health and safety knowledge or experience is required.
● No formal qualifications or professional licence are needed.
● A basic understanding of English is recommended.
● Learners should have access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone with an internet connection.
● For workplace-specific tasks, follow your employer’s health and safety procedures and any additional training requirements.

Career Progression

The knowledge gained can be useful for professionals involved in building safety, construction, compliance, project delivery, competence management and building information.

The knowledge gained can be useful for:

• Construction project managers
  ● Building control professionals
  ● Principal Designers and design professionals
  ● Principal Contractors and construction managers
  ● Building safety and compliance professionals
  ● Clients and property professionals
  ● Facilities and building management professionals
  ● Health and safety professionals

 Certificate

Complete your training and celebrate your achievement with a Course Completion Certificate from All Skill Academy.

Your certificate provides a simple way to recognise your learning and show that you have completed the course.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Building Safety Act?

The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced significant reforms to the building-safety framework, including clearer responsibilities, stronger accountability and requirements affecting building work and higher-risk buildings.

2. Who are the main dutyholders under the Building Safety Act?

The design and construction dutyholder framework includes the client, Principal Designer, designers, Principal Contractor and contractors. Their responsibilities relate to planning, managing, monitoring, coordinating and carrying out relevant work.

3. What does a dutyholder do?

A dutyholder has responsibilities associated with building work, including planning, managing and monitoring relevant activities, cooperating with other dutyholders and supporting compliance with applicable building regulations.

4. What are the competence requirements?

People carrying out relevant design or building work need the appropriate skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours for the work they undertake. Organisations may also need appropriate organisational capability.

5. What is the golden thread?

The golden thread refers to the information and information-management arrangements needed to understand a building and manage its safety. For relevant higher-risk buildings, information needs to be managed in a way that keeps it reliable, secure, accessible and usable.

6. Why is the golden thread important?

It helps ensure that relevant building information is available to the people who need it. This can support building-safety management, compliance and informed decision-making throughout the relevant building lifecycle.

7. What is the role of a Principal Designer?

The Principal Designer has responsibilities associated with planning, managing and monitoring design work and coordinating with other dutyholders to support compliance with applicable building regulations.

8. What is the role of a Principal Contractor?

The Principal Contractor has responsibilities associated with planning, managing and monitoring building work, coordinating construction activities and working with other dutyholders to support compliance.

9. Does the Building Safety Act apply to every building?

The building-safety framework includes duties applying to building work generally, with additional requirements for higher-risk buildings. The requirements that apply can depend on the type of building and the work being undertaken.

10. Who should take Building Safety Act training?

The course is particularly suitable for construction project managers, building control professionals, compliance specialists, clients, designers, contractors, Principal Designers, Principal Contractors and other professionals involved in building safety and project delivery.

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