Facilities Management Excellence

The "golden thread" is a requirement to create and maintain accurate, up-to-date digital records of building safety information throughout a building's lifecycle. For higher-risk buildings (typically 18+ metres or 7+ storeys), duty holders must store key building information digitally, ensure it is accessible to those who need it, and keep it accurate as changes occur. Assistant Manager provides the digital infrastructure to maintain this golden thread through structured checklists, automated record-keeping, and complete audit trails.

ACoP L8 requires monthly temperature checks on sentinel outlets (nearest and furthest from the calorifier), weekly flushing of low-use outlets, quarterly checks on calorifier temperatures, and an annual review of the written scheme. Cooling towers require more frequent monitoring. Assistant Manager automates the scheduling of all these checks and provides temperature recording templates with automatic alerts when readings fall outside safe parameters (hot water should be stored at 60°C and distributed at 50°C minimum).

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, you must maintain a current fire risk assessment (reviewed annually or after significant changes), records of fire alarm testing (weekly), emergency lighting tests (monthly functional, annual full-duration), fire door inspections (quarterly), fire extinguisher servicing (annual), and fire drill records. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 added requirements for building information boxes and wayfinding signage in high-rise residential buildings.

While there is no legal requirement to use a Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) system specifically, the Building Safety Act 2022 requires digital record-keeping for higher-risk buildings, and regulators increasingly expect electronic audit trails. A digital system like Assistant Manager also makes it far easier to demonstrate compliance during audits, track contractor performance, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks compared to paper-based or spreadsheet systems.

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the duty holder must carry out an asbestos survey (management or refurbishment/demolition), maintain an asbestos register, create a written management plan, re-inspect asbestos-containing materials at least annually, ensure anyone who may disturb asbestos is informed, and keep records of all asbestos-related work. Assistant Manager helps track asbestos locations, schedule re-inspections, and maintain the management plan with photographic evidence of condition assessments.

Martyn's Law (the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act) will require premises with a capacity of 200+ to conduct terrorism risk assessments and implement proportionate protective security measures. For larger venues (800+ capacity), requirements are more extensive including a security plan approved by the Security Industry Authority. FM providers managing public-facing venues will need to factor terrorism risk into their compliance processes, training programmes, and emergency procedures.

Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, passenger lifts require a thorough examination every 6 months by a competent person. Goods-only lifts and other lifting equipment require thorough examination every 12 months (or 6 months if carrying people). Reports must be received within 28 days of examination. Any defects must be actioned within the timescales specified. Assistant Manager schedules these inspections automatically and tracks defect resolution to completion.

Assistant Manager creates timestamped, GPS-verified, photographic evidence of every task completion. Clients can access real-time dashboards showing SLA performance, completed PPM tasks, reactive response times, and compliance status. Automated monthly reports can be generated showing completion rates, trend analysis, and any outstanding issues — transforming the conversation from "trust us" to "here's the proof".