Aipedia: Building services engineers

AI, O&M manuals and the golden thread

Aipedia, by the Apex broking team · Last reviewed 2026-10-27

AI can compile O&M manuals and handover information quickly, but on higher-risk buildings that information becomes part of the golden thread, which must be accurate and up to date. Errors may only surface years later, when someone relies on the manual to operate or maintain a safety system.

Part of: AI in building services engineering

In short

MEP teams use AI to assemble operation and maintenance manuals, asset registers and handover packs from submittals, drawings and commissioning records. On higher-risk buildings in England, regulation 31 of SI 2023/909 requires golden thread information to be accurate, up to date, secure and changed only through recorded procedures, and regulation 38 requires the client to hand over information on completion, including fixed building services, ventilation and fire safety information. AI can introduce errors that nobody spots until much later. PI usually responds to negligent preparation of information, subject to the wording.

How AI is used for O&M and handover information

AI tools extract data from manufacturer literature and submittals, populate asset registers, write system descriptions and maintenance schedules, summarise commissioning results and organise everything into a handover structure. On large projects this can save weeks, and handover information is often produced under pressure at the end of a job, when AI shortcuts are most tempting.

The duties that apply

SI 2023/909 regulation 31: the client must keep golden thread information electronically, accurate and up to date, readable and understandable, secure from unauthorised access, and changed only through procedures that record who made the change and when. People designing or carrying out the work must be able to access it to maintain the information.
Regulation 38: by completion, the client must hand over specified golden thread information and information covering, among other things, fire safety, ventilation systems, fixed building services and overheating protection, to the person responsible for the building, in a format they can read, keep and update.
Part 2A regulation 11K: designers must give sufficient design information to others. Part 2A.
CIBSE Code clause 1.3: no statements known to be untrue or misleading. CIBSE Code.

Where AI errors creep in

Maintenance intervals copied from a similar but different product.
System descriptions that describe the design intent rather than what was installed.
Fire damper, smoke control or emergency lighting details that do not match as-built records.
Asset registers with wrong locations or duplicate entries.
Summaries that state commissioning was completed when results were partial.

Why golden thread errors are different

On an ordinary project, a wrong maintenance interval in an O&M manual is a nuisance. On a higher-risk building it sits inside a regulated information set that the accountable person relies on to manage fire and structural safety for the life of the building. The information must be understandable to its intended readers, so AI-generated text that is vague, generic or inconsistent in terminology can itself be a problem, because regulation 31 also asks for consistent language and definitions as far as reasonably practicable. Errors also propagate: an asset register used to plan maintenance, a system description used in a later refurbishment or a fire damper schedule used by a testing contractor can all carry an original AI error forward for years.

What can go wrong

Illustrative scenario: on a residential higher-risk building, an MEP contractor's design team uses AI to compile the O&M manual. The tool takes maintenance and testing requirements for smoke control dampers from a different product range. Years later, after a damper fails during testing, the building's managers find the maintenance regime they followed was wrong. The accountable person seeks the cost of investigation, replacement and enhanced testing from those who prepared the information.

How PI usually responds

Claims that handover information was negligently prepared are usually within PI, subject to the wording. Because the error may be found long after completion, the policy in force when the claim is made usually responds, so continuous cover and run-off matter. On higher-risk buildings, fire safety restrictions in some policies may affect cover. Our guide to the Building Safety Act and PI explains the wider exposure, and AI and golden thread information and AI-drafted handover documents look at the same issues from the principal designer's side.

Practical controls

Build O&M content from as-built records and actual commissioning results, not design intent.
Check every life safety system entry against the installed product and test records.
Record who prepared, checked and changed each section, consistent with regulation 31.
Keep a list of which sections were AI-assisted.
Have a competent engineer sign off the building services sections before handover.

How Apex helps

Apex arranges PI for building services engineers. A broker reviews your cover and how your policy treats AI-assisted handover information on higher-risk buildings.

Sources

Frequently asked

What does regulation 31 require of golden thread information?

It must be kept electronically, be accurate and up to date, readable, secure from unauthorised access, and changed only through procedures recording who made the change and when. The client must maintain it.

What is handed over under regulation 38?

By completion, the client hands over specified golden thread information and information covering fire safety, ventilation, fixed building services, on-site generation and overheating protection to the person responsible for the building.

Can AI write my O&M manual?

It can help assemble it, but content must reflect what was installed and tested. On higher-risk buildings it may form part of the golden thread, so a competent engineer should check it before handover.

Will PI cover an error found years later?

PI is usually written on a claims-made basis, so the policy in force when the claim is made normally responds, subject to the wording. Keeping continuous cover, and run-off if you stop trading, matters.

Check your PI covers how you use AI

Tell us about your firm and the work you do. A broker will review how your current PI treats AI-assisted work, or arrange new cover. No fee for a quote. Or call 0117 325 0027.

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Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07014570. This page is general information about how AI is used in the profession and how insurance may respond. It is not legal, regulatory or insurance advice on your circumstances, and it does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms.