From 2026 onwards, daily site records are no longer a site management convenience. They are a regulated safety system. On Building Safety Regulator (BSR) controlled projects, daily records now form part of the legal safety case for the building. They sit inside the Golden Thread and are treated as regulated construction evidence. Inspectors no longer accept retrospective paperwork, reconstructed diaries, or informal records. They expect live, continuous operational evidence that demonstrates how the building is being constructed safely, in accordance with the approved design and regulatory controls.
For site supervisors, this marks a fundamental shift in responsibility. The daily diary is no longer just a record of progress. It is now a legal document.
If it is not recorded, the regulator assumes it did not happen.
Daily Site Records Are Now Part of the Building’s Legal Safety Case
Under the Building Safety Act, higher-risk buildings are subject to continuous regulatory oversight from planning through construction and into occupation. The construction phase is no longer treated as a transient delivery period. It is treated as a regulated safety process.
The Golden Thread is not a single document or handover pack. It is a living digital record of how the building has been designed, built, inspected, tested and controlled. Daily site records now sit inside that record and are used by the regulator to verify that the approved design is being constructed correctly, that risk controls are being applied in real time and that deviations are being formally managed.
When a Gateway approval is assessed, or when an inspector attends site, the daily record is one of the first things reviewed. It provides the timeline that links drawings, inspections, installations, changes and approvals together into a single auditable construction history.
In practical terms, the daily diary has become part of the building’s permanent safety file.
What a Regulator-Compliant Daily Record Looks Like in 2026
A compliant daily record is no longer a brief note of labour and weather conditions. It is a structured operational account of what was built, how it was built, what was inspected and what controls were in place on that day.
Each daily record must clearly identify the date, the working hours, the weather conditions where relevant, the trades and labour present, the plant and equipment in operation, the areas of the building that were active and the specific construction activities that took place. It must record inspections carried out, safety briefings delivered, permits issued, design clarifications received and any constraints or issues that affected delivery.
The record must be attributable to a named supervisor, signed or digitally authenticated, time-stamped, and stored within a controlled system. It must be factual, objective and written in a way that can be independently audited months or years later.
From a regulatory perspective, the daily record is not about productivity. It is about control.
Photographic Evidence Is Now Treated as Construction Proof
Photographic evidence has become one of the most powerful regulatory tools in construction. In 2026, BSR inspectors routinely use site photography to verify that fire stopping has been installed correctly, that compartmentation is continuous, that service penetrations have been sealed, that structural elements are built in the approved sequence and that temporary works are correctly implemented.
However, random photographs stored on personal phones or shared through messaging apps do not constitute compliant evidence.
A compliant photo record must be date-stamped, location-referenced, linked to the relevant drawing or zone and stored within a controlled project system. Each image must be capable of being traced back to a specific activity, inspection or installation. Inspectors will routinely cross-reference photographs against drawings, inspection records and physical site conditions.
Where there is no photographic evidence, the regulator will normally assume the installation cannot be verified.
Inspections, Tests and Product Conformity Are Now Daily Regulatory Controls
Daily inspection and test records are now treated as formal safety declarations. These include fire stopping inspections, structural inspections, temporary works checks, access and edge protection inspections, lifting operations, hot works controls and service installation checks.
Each inspection must be recorded, signed, dated and linked to the approved inspection and test plan. Where products are installed, material delivery and conformity records must show exactly what product was delivered, who manufactured it, when it arrived, where it was stored, and where it was installed.
This is how the regulator verifies that the approved specification is what has actually been built into the structure.
In 2026, the question is no longer what was specified?
It is what was installed?
The daily record is how that question is answered.
What Inspectors Are Now Looking for on Site
When a BSR inspector attends site, they are not simply checking for the presence of paperwork. They are testing whether the project is under control.
They will want to understand who owns the daily record system, where it is stored, how it is backed up, how access is controlled, how changes are recorded, how errors are corrected, and how long records are retained. They will then walk the site and physically compare what has been built against what is recorded.
If the diary says a fire-stopping inspection took place, they will ask to see the photographs.
If the photographs show an installation, they will check the approved drawing.
If the drawing shows a detail, they will inspect the physical installation.
Any mismatch is treated as a compliance issue.
The Consequences of Missing or Incomplete Records
Missing daily records are now treated as a failure of dutyholder control.
On BSR-regulated projects, incomplete or inconsistent records can trigger enforcement action, including compliance notices, improvement notices, work stoppages, evidence audits, and Gateway delays. On higher-risk buildings, poor construction records can delay Gateway 3 approval, prevent building registration, and block occupation.
From a commercial perspective, a building without a complete construction record is becoming uninsurable, unmortgageable and commercially impaired.
From 2026 onwards, no serious developer will accept handover without a fully auditable construction history.
Responsibility and Accountability on Site
While the legal duty sits with the dutyholders, operational accountability sits on site.
The Principal Contractor owns the system.
The Site Manager controls compliance.
The Site Supervisor maintains the daily record.
The Foreman provides operational input.
Subcontractors supply installation evidence.
After any serious incident, investigation always begins with the daily diary. It is the first document requested. It establishes the timeline. It identifies who was in control. It shows what was known and when.
In regulatory terms, the daily record is the site’s memory.
Digital Records Are Now the Regulatory Standard
Paper diaries are rapidly being phased out on BSR projects. Inspectors now expect digital record systems with cloud-backed storage, controlled access, audit trails, version history and secure long-term retention.
Messaging apps, personal phones and unstructured photo folders may still be used for day-to-day coordination, but they do not constitute a compliant evidence system.
In regulatory terms, if it is not in the project system, it does not exist.
How Long Records Must Be Kept
For higher-risk buildings, construction records form part of the permanent building safety file. They must be retained for the life of the building.
This includes design records, change records, inspection records, test records, commissioning records and daily site records. The daily diary is no longer a temporary project document. It becomes part of the building’s permanent compliance history.
What This Means for Site Supervisors in 2026
The site supervisor role has fundamentally changed.
You are no longer just delivering a programme.
You are delivering a regulated safety case.
You are building the structure, but you are also building its legal record.
Your daily diary is now a regulated safety document.
Your photographs are compliance evidence.
Your inspections are legal declarations.
Your records protect your company and yourself.
If it is not written down, it did not happen.
If it is not photographed, it cannot be proven.
If it is not signed, it is not controlled.
In 2026, the most valuable site supervisors are not the fastest builders. They are the ones who leave behind a building that can legally be occupied.
For site supervisors, this marks a fundamental shift in responsibility. The daily diary is no longer just a record of progress. It is now a legal document.
If it is not recorded, the regulator assumes it did not happen.
Daily Site Records Are Now Part of the Building’s Legal Safety Case
Under the Building Safety Act, higher-risk buildings are subject to continuous regulatory oversight from planning through construction and into occupation. The construction phase is no longer treated as a transient delivery period. It is treated as a regulated safety process.
The Golden Thread is not a single document or handover pack. It is a living digital record of how the building has been designed, built, inspected, tested and controlled. Daily site records now sit inside that record and are used by the regulator to verify that the approved design is being constructed correctly, that risk controls are being applied in real time and that deviations are being formally managed.
When a Gateway approval is assessed, or when an inspector attends site, the daily record is one of the first things reviewed. It provides the timeline that links drawings, inspections, installations, changes and approvals together into a single auditable construction history.
In practical terms, the daily diary has become part of the building’s permanent safety file.
What a Regulator-Compliant Daily Record Looks Like in 2026
A compliant daily record is no longer a brief note of labour and weather conditions. It is a structured operational account of what was built, how it was built, what was inspected and what controls were in place on that day.
Each daily record must clearly identify the date, the working hours, the weather conditions where relevant, the trades and labour present, the plant and equipment in operation, the areas of the building that were active and the specific construction activities that took place. It must record inspections carried out, safety briefings delivered, permits issued, design clarifications received and any constraints or issues that affected delivery.
The record must be attributable to a named supervisor, signed or digitally authenticated, time-stamped, and stored within a controlled system. It must be factual, objective and written in a way that can be independently audited months or years later.
From a regulatory perspective, the daily record is not about productivity. It is about control.
Photographic Evidence Is Now Treated as Construction Proof
Photographic evidence has become one of the most powerful regulatory tools in construction. In 2026, BSR inspectors routinely use site photography to verify that fire stopping has been installed correctly, that compartmentation is continuous, that service penetrations have been sealed, that structural elements are built in the approved sequence and that temporary works are correctly implemented.
However, random photographs stored on personal phones or shared through messaging apps do not constitute compliant evidence.
A compliant photo record must be date-stamped, location-referenced, linked to the relevant drawing or zone and stored within a controlled project system. Each image must be capable of being traced back to a specific activity, inspection or installation. Inspectors will routinely cross-reference photographs against drawings, inspection records and physical site conditions.
Where there is no photographic evidence, the regulator will normally assume the installation cannot be verified.
Inspections, Tests and Product Conformity Are Now Daily Regulatory Controls
Daily inspection and test records are now treated as formal safety declarations. These include fire stopping inspections, structural inspections, temporary works checks, access and edge protection inspections, lifting operations, hot works controls and service installation checks.
Each inspection must be recorded, signed, dated and linked to the approved inspection and test plan. Where products are installed, material delivery and conformity records must show exactly what product was delivered, who manufactured it, when it arrived, where it was stored, and where it was installed.
This is how the regulator verifies that the approved specification is what has actually been built into the structure.
In 2026, the question is no longer what was specified?
It is what was installed?
The daily record is how that question is answered.
What Inspectors Are Now Looking for on Site
When a BSR inspector attends site, they are not simply checking for the presence of paperwork. They are testing whether the project is under control.
They will want to understand who owns the daily record system, where it is stored, how it is backed up, how access is controlled, how changes are recorded, how errors are corrected, and how long records are retained. They will then walk the site and physically compare what has been built against what is recorded.
If the diary says a fire-stopping inspection took place, they will ask to see the photographs.
If the photographs show an installation, they will check the approved drawing.
If the drawing shows a detail, they will inspect the physical installation.
Any mismatch is treated as a compliance issue.
The Consequences of Missing or Incomplete Records
Missing daily records are now treated as a failure of dutyholder control.
On BSR-regulated projects, incomplete or inconsistent records can trigger enforcement action, including compliance notices, improvement notices, work stoppages, evidence audits, and Gateway delays. On higher-risk buildings, poor construction records can delay Gateway 3 approval, prevent building registration, and block occupation.
From a commercial perspective, a building without a complete construction record is becoming uninsurable, unmortgageable and commercially impaired.
From 2026 onwards, no serious developer will accept handover without a fully auditable construction history.
Responsibility and Accountability on Site
While the legal duty sits with the dutyholders, operational accountability sits on site.
The Principal Contractor owns the system.
The Site Manager controls compliance.
The Site Supervisor maintains the daily record.
The Foreman provides operational input.
Subcontractors supply installation evidence.
After any serious incident, investigation always begins with the daily diary. It is the first document requested. It establishes the timeline. It identifies who was in control. It shows what was known and when.
In regulatory terms, the daily record is the site’s memory.
Digital Records Are Now the Regulatory Standard
Paper diaries are rapidly being phased out on BSR projects. Inspectors now expect digital record systems with cloud-backed storage, controlled access, audit trails, version history and secure long-term retention.
Messaging apps, personal phones and unstructured photo folders may still be used for day-to-day coordination, but they do not constitute a compliant evidence system.
In regulatory terms, if it is not in the project system, it does not exist.
How Long Records Must Be Kept
For higher-risk buildings, construction records form part of the permanent building safety file. They must be retained for the life of the building.
This includes design records, change records, inspection records, test records, commissioning records and daily site records. The daily diary is no longer a temporary project document. It becomes part of the building’s permanent compliance history.
What This Means for Site Supervisors in 2026
The site supervisor role has fundamentally changed.
You are no longer just delivering a programme.
You are delivering a regulated safety case.
You are building the structure, but you are also building its legal record.
Your daily diary is now a regulated safety document.
Your photographs are compliance evidence.
Your inspections are legal declarations.
Your records protect your company and yourself.
If it is not written down, it did not happen.
If it is not photographed, it cannot be proven.
If it is not signed, it is not controlled.
In 2026, the most valuable site supervisors are not the fastest builders. They are the ones who leave behind a building that can legally be occupied.
Image © London Construction Magazine Limited
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Expert Verification & Authorship: Mihai Chelmus
Founder, London Construction Magazine | Construction Testing & Investigation Specialist |
