EICR observation codes explained: C1, C2, C3 and FI

Every observation on an EICR carries a classification code. Four codes exist: C1, C2, C3 and FI. Any C1, C2 or FI makes the overall report unsatisfactory; C3 is the only code a satisfactory report can carry.

The four codes at a glance

• C1 — Danger present. Risk of injury exists right now. Immediate action is required: think exposed live parts, a live conductor you can touch. The inspector should make it safe or have it made safe before leaving, and the person ordering the report must be told straight away.
• C2 — Potentially dangerous. Not an immediate risk while everything works as intended, but a fault or foreseeable event could make it one. Urgent remedial action is required. Classic examples: no RCD protection where BS 7671 requires it, or a damaged enclosure that exposes internals under fault conditions.
• C3 — Improvement recommended. The installation doesn’t meet the current edition of BS 7671 but isn’t dangerous as it stands. The only code that still allows a satisfactory report.
• FI — Further investigation required. The inspector found something that could not be fully explored within the agreed scope and it may reveal danger. FI makes the report unsatisfactory, so it is not a shrug — it is a flag that more work is needed without delay.

Who decides the code?

The inspecting electrician does — coding is professional judgement, applied to what was actually found on the day. Two competent sparks can land on different codes for the same defect at the boundary, which is why the industry leans on Electrical Safety First’s Best Practice Guide 4 for consistency. The guide is guidance, not law: the signature on the report carries the decision.

What happens after an unsatisfactory report?

The duty-holder (landlord, homeowner, business) is responsible for getting C1 and C2 items — and any FI — resolved. For rented homes in England, the Electrical Safety Standards regulations require remedial work within 28 days of the report, or sooner if the report says so, with written confirmation once done.

The boundary everyone argues about

C2 versus C3 is where group chats go to war, because it hinges on one judgement: potentially dangerous now, or just not current practice? We’ve written that one up separately — see C2 or C3? The one question that decides it.