AESG responds to Building Safety Bill with digital logbook and audit tool

The UK Government’s reforms to the building and fire safety system, adopted in July 2021, require building owners to demonstrate that they’re actively managing information related to safety risks. Information gathered at each Gateway stage has to be stored and retained for the lifecycle of the building.

A core part of the new rules mandates building owners to maintain a ‘golden thread’ of safety check information throughout the design and construction of new buildings (or any major works to existing ones). The Explanatory Notes to the Building Safety Bill also specify the need for “robust information management”. Part of the effectiveness of the ‘golden thread’ concept is that information is to be readily available, current and accurate.

AESG saw an opportunity to offer its clients a bespoke-designed digital platform to host and manage fire safety data. Fire+ bolsters the company’s existing smart building offer. With its digital audit trail and ability to be updated throughout the lifecycle of a building, Fire+ acts as a logbook to support owners of existing and new buildings in ensuring that life safety, compliance, efficiency, reliability and sustainability performance are mapped from the outset.

The online platform enables end users to easily uphold the new requirements of the Building Safety Bill and allows information to be accessible from anywhere, easily searchable and instantly updatable. It serves as a secure and single, central ‘source of truth’ for all stakeholders and project teams and is a critical part of helping to safeguard safety standards in buildings, ensuring that there’s adequate protection of property and lives.

Drawing on expertise

To develop the tool, AESG has drawn on its extensive expertise and track record of advising asset managers and developers to ensure buildings are fire compliant, facades and cladding are fire-proof and that performance of the building is optimised, including reducing both operational carbon through commissioning and performance management and embodied carbon through design, as well as enhancing the health and well-being of occupiers.

James Dickson, director at AESG, told Fire Safety Matters: “Compliance with the UK Government’s new regulations will depend on the responsible management of asset lifecycle data and the industry widely adopting smart data solutions to facilitate it.”

Dickson continued: “With Fire+, we have advanced the digitisation of building fire safety information to create a platform that provides an easily accessible solution to help both existing and new clients adhere to the new fire safety legislation. It’s exactly this sort of cloud-based solution that’s critical for safeguarding the nation’s buildings and the people within them.”

*AESG’s White Paper on Fire Statements and the London Plan 2021 provides a deep dive into the new requirements for planning applications in England. Access the document online at https://aesg.com/perspective/fire-statements-the-london-plan-2021/

**Further information is available online at www.aesg.com