What does C1 mean on an EICR?

Danger present means the inspector found a condition that can injure someone now. Exposed live parts, a missing barrier around live conductors, or equipment that is already unsafe to leave in service are the kind of condition the words are for. It is not a note that the installation would be tidier if something were updated.

Immediate action means the danger is dealt with before the installation is left in that state. That can be making safe, isolating the affected part, or urgent remedial work. It is not a date for a convenient revisit.

• C2 means potentially dangerous, with urgent remedial action required.
• C3 means improvement recommended. C3 alone does not make the report unsatisfactory.
• Under the current A4:2026 EICR format, an FI observation is advisory and does not by itself make the overall assessment unsatisfactory.
• C1 is danger present. It is not a milder form of those three lines.

A report becomes unsatisfactory when it contains at least one C1 or C2 observation. Read the observation itself so you know which part is dangerous. Do not keep using that part while you compare quotes.

Stop using the dangerous item if you can do that safely, keep people away from it, and arrange for a competent person to make it safe. Do not open the consumer unit or remove covers to investigate it yourself.

The broader code comparison is on the EICR code guide. Urgent making-safe and later repair sit with remedial work after an EICR.