With the UK Building Safety Act (BSA) introducing stricter standards, the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry faces a new level of accountability. A key part of BSA compliance is audit readiness, which requires organised, accessible documentation of every project decision. For AEC firms, effective email management is crucial to meeting these standards, reducing risk and ensuring smooth audits
Why audit readiness is essential for BSA compliance
Audit readiness under the BSA means having accurate, accessible and complete records. Since emails often contain essential project updates, decisions and safety information, managing these communications effectively is vital. Key reasons to prioritise audit readiness include:
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Avoiding penalties: The BSA enforces strict penalties for non-compliance, which can cause costly delays or fines.
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Meeting accountability standards: Audit-ready records demonstrate a commitment to transparency and ensure project accountability.
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Supporting the “golden thread” requirement: The BSA’s “golden thread” mandates a continuous, accessible record of all safety information—a goal that organised email management helps achieve.
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Common email management pitfalls
Managing project emails across teams and projects can be challenging, and common pitfalls include:
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Lost or misplaced emails: Project emails often get lost in inboxes, leading to documentation gaps.
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Disorganised records: Without a system, email records can become chaotic, complicating retrieval during audits.
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Lack of searchability: Unorganised email records make it difficult to locate key information, which is essential for proving compliance.
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Incomplete archiving: Emails that aren’t archived can be lost, creating risks for compliance audits.
These issues can lead to missed communications, incomplete records and ultimately, non-compliance under the BSA.
Best practices for effective email management
To help ensure BSA compliance and maintain audit readiness, we’ve detailed in our e-book email management practices you can implement to ensure audit readiness such having a single source of truth — a place to store all project-related emails in a central, accessible location to create a cohesive documentation trail.
These practices help AEC firms maintain clear, organised documentation that’s easily accessible and ready for audits.
The impact of effective email management on compliance
A structured email management system supports compliance by creating a continuous, accessible record of project communications. It reduces compliance risks, simplifies audit preparation and helps AEC firms meet the BSA’s standards efficiently. For firms committed to transparency and accountability, effective email management is a powerful tool in audit-proofing their projects.
Download 'The golden thread of information, and Building Safety Act 2022 updates: A guide for UK AEC firms' to learn more about how to audit-proof your building projects with effective email management.
