Skillko outlines how important it is to track your compliance and training records in ‘one single source of truth’.
As we move into 2022, one of the most important movements within the Construction sector in the UK will be the introduction of the ‘Building Safety Bill’ which includes the ‘Golden Thread of Information’.
In her Building a Safer Future report, which was published in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster, Dame Judith Hackitt recommended the introduction of a “golden thread” to support those responsible for the design, construction and management of buildings. The golden thread of information is used in construction to refer to quality and up-to-date information records throughout the duration of construction projects.
Therefore, the issue of being able to ensure and track compliance across your staff and supply chain has become more prominent than ever before. Ensuring the products you are using are fit for purpose is one major area that companies must adhere to. Following on from that, section 34 of the act outlines that you must also ensure that your staff and subcontractors have the relevant ‘competence requirements’ to carry out the work they are completing on your projects. A “competence requirement” is a requirement relating to the ‘skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours of an individual’ and ‘the capability of a person other than an individual to perform
its functions under building regulations.’ Having this information stored securely and simple to access within one single source of truth is imperative to ensure your golden thread of information.
Indeed, within her report, Dame Hackitt outlined 10 key principles that companies should adhere to when recording their information to track their compliance;
- Accurate and trusted
- Residents feeling secure in their homes
- Culture change
- Single source of truth
- Secure
- Accountable
- Understandable/consistent
- Simple to access
- Longevity and shareability of information
- Relevant/proportionate
These principles provide challenges for companies using tools such as excel or internal systems as these are not always accurate or consistent and can be difficult to access and share/export information from due to their nature.
Therefore if your company is relying on these tools or systems then 2022 is the year when you should begin to evaluate other options to ensure compliance across the business. Within the report by Dame Hackitt there is a strong focus on the digitisation of information and
digital standards. The report is clear that ‘digital standards are key to creating and maintaining an effective Golden Thread’. Furthermore, The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have specified that the Golden Thread will require ‘use of digital tools and systems’, enabling key information ‘to be stored and used effectively to ensure safer buildings.’
Digital tools will therefore become an essential part of your business moving forward to enable a successful golden thread of information as part of the Building safety Bill. Using tools such as cloud based systems that can be trusted, are secure and can be easily accessed now become a necessity rather than a luxury. Furthermore digital platforms and SaaS products can also enable you to share information much quicker and more effectively from start to finish of a project.
At Skillko, our company ethos is to create ‘a world where every work environment is safe and compliant for every member of the workforce’. Our cloud based platform allows companies within the construction industry to ensure 100% compliance for all their staff across all their projects from start to finish by having a full record of onboarding, inductions, training records etc. Furthermore, Skillko also enables full overview of your supply chain and subcontractors to provide your full thread of information across every project.
‘At Skillko, all of our UK based clients have peace of mind that they already have a golden thread of information for all their workforces training records in place as a result of using our product’ – Brendan Maloney, CEO of Skillko.
If you are looking at objectives for 2022, now is the time to review your systems to be fully ready for the Building Safety Bill that will come into full effect in the coming months.
- Can your system ensure a golden thread of information?
- Is your current process able to successfully deliver the 10 principles the golden thread requires?
If not, do not worry as there are systems and products available to achieve this quickly and effectively.
If you want to know more about how Skillko can help you achieve these principles and protect your staff by ensuring a trained and compliant workforce along with a golden thread from start to finish of all your projects then reach out to us today to arrange a free demo consultation.
‘We implemented Skillko Compliance in May 2021 and the benefits across our business was instantaneous. Our administration time associated with training has reduced by 90% and our compliance risk totally eliminated. Previously arduous tasks of sharing specific files to clients, determining training needs/competence & managing compliance is now totally simplified through Skillko.’ – Annmarie Crinion EQHS Manager.
To find out more about Skillko visit our website; www.skillko.com to book your demo or email us at hello@skillko.com and a member of our team will get in touch with you.
