7.1 EICR Classification Coding: Code C1 (Danger Present)

7.1 EICR Classification Coding: Code C1 (Danger Present)

Core Regulatory Benchmark: Under BS 7671 Regulation 653.2 and industry-standard guidance from Electrical Safety First Best Practice Guide 4 (BPG 4), Code C1 carries the explicit definition: 'Danger present. Risk of injury. Immediate remedial action required.' It represents the most critical classification code that an electrical inspector can allocate during an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).

When studying periodic inspection under the EAL awards, distinguish the knowledge examinations (QCRB/001, QCR/001 and the combined ITC3/001) from the separately named practical assessments. Classification requires evidence-based professional judgement using the applicable reporting guidance. A BS 7671 condition report does not itself certify compliance with every statutory duty.

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The Technical Criteria for Assigning Code C1

The fundamental criterion for allocating Code C1 is the presence of an immediate, active hazard.

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                 CRITERIA FOR CODE C1 (DANGER PRESENT)                             |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  1. Immediate Hazard:   Persons or livestock are exposed to active risk of electric shock,        |
|                         burns, electrocution, or electrical fire under normal everyday conditions.|
|                                                                                                   |
|  2. Zero Fault Latency: No secondary fault or subsequent insulation breakdown is required to      |
|                         create danger. The danger exists right now in the undisturbed state.      |
|                                                                                                   |
|  Examples: Exposed hazardous live parts accessible to touch, or accessible metalwork made live.   |
|  These are examples of present danger, rather than additional tests every C1 must satisfy.      |
|                                                                                                   |
|  A typical 230/400 V supply is 230 V line-to-earth and 400 V between lines.                       |
|  Classify the actual accessible hazard; do not assume a touch voltage from the code alone.       |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Unlike lower classification codes where danger is contingent upon a secondary fault occurring (such as the loss of an earth path during an insulation breakdown), a Code C1 condition is dangerous at the exact moment of inspection. If an occupant, operative, or member of the public interacts with the installation in its ordinary everyday state, serious bodily injury or death is foreseeably imminent.

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Real-World Examples of Code C1 Conditions

Inspectors must recognize clear-cut Code C1 hazards across domestic, commercial, and industrial premises. Electrical Safety First Best Practice Guide 4 (Issue 7.4) and IET Guidance Note 3 establish definitive benchmarks for C1 conditions:

Comprehensive Code C1 Defect Matrix

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Inspector Action Upon Discovering a Code C1

A C1 danger requires action immediately, rather than waiting for the completed report. Electrical Safety First BPG 4 advises immediate notification to the person ordering the work and written confirmation. A recognised danger-notification form helps record this clearly.

C1 DANGER IDENTIFIED
        |
        v
Stop work that would expose anyone to the danger.
Notify the person ordering the work immediately.
        |
        v
Explain the hazard; seek agreement to make safe.
        |
        +--> Agreed: isolate/secure or provide suitable protection safely.
        |
        +--> Refused: explain the risk and record the refusal.
        |
        v
Confirm the warning in writing; record action and outstanding danger.
An unresolved C1 makes the EICR UNSATISFACTORY.

1. Statutory Safety Duties

EAWR Regulation 4 requires systems to be constructed and maintained to prevent danger, so far as reasonably practicable, and work activities to avoid danger. Regulation 14 permits work on or near an uncovered live conductor where danger may arise only if all three conditions are met: it is unreasonable for it to be dead, reasonable to work on or near it live, and suitable precautions prevent injury. A reporting exercise does not justify continuing unsafe testing. Apply these duties within the inspector’s work and the relevant duty holder’s responsibilities.

2. Immediate Notification

Stop non-essential testing and promptly explain to the person ordering the work:

• the location and nature of the danger;
• the risk of shock, burns or fire;
• the immediate action needed to protect people.

3. Making Safe

Agree appropriate action with the client. Follow the safe-isolation procedure, including identifying every source, securing isolation and proving dead with suitable equipment proved before and after use. Do not remove barriers or apply makeshift protection while exposed to danger.

• Agreement given: Isolate and secure the affected circuit, or fit suitable protection using a safe method. Distinguish temporary shielding from a completed permanent repair.
• Agreement refused: Explain the danger and record the refusal and advice. Do not create or restore an unsafe energized condition as part of the inspection. Do not continue work that would expose anyone to the hazard.

4. Written Record

Provide written notification without delay, identifying the defect, location, date, risk, action taken and outstanding action. A danger-notification form is useful, but EAWR does not prescribe that named form or require a client acknowledgement signature. Record any refusal to acknowledge the warning. The EICR must accurately describe any unresolved defect and making-safe measures.

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Impact on Overall EICR Assessment & Temporary Rectification

An unresolved Code C1 observation makes the overall assessment in Section E UNSATISFACTORY, irrespective of how many other circuits are sound. The report describes the installation within the agreed extent and limitations.

Temporary Making-Safe and Permanent Repair

• Temporary action: Isolation, tape or temporary shielding does not permanently rectify the underlying defect. Record the C1 observation in Section K, the action taken and the remaining repair requirement. Do not downgrade it to C3 merely because immediate access has been prevented.
• Permanent repair before completion: If an agreed repair fully rectifies the defect and the inspector verifies its effectiveness before finalising the EICR, document the defect found, completed work and verification. The repaired condition need not remain an unresolved C1. Assess the remaining installation before deciding the overall outcome.
• Repair after issue: Keep the original report as the record of the condition reported at that time. Retain separate evidence of the subsequent repair and verification. Issue an EIC or Minor Works certificate where appropriate to the electrical work undertaken; replacing a cover does not universally require either certificate.

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Worked Practical Case Studies: Code C1 in Practice

Case Study 1: Missing Blanking Module on Main Distribution Board

• Scenario: During a periodic inspection of a busy commercial kitchen, the inspector opens the distribution board door and observes two unused single-phase ways at the bottom of the busbar assembly without blanking plates. An energized copper busbar finger is exposed to touch at a height of 1.4 m, directly adjacent to the main switch.
• Analysis: The busbar is energized at 230 V to earth and accessible without the use of a key or tool. This violates Regulation 416.2.1 (barriers/enclosures minimum IP2X / IPXXB) for the accessible front opening. Because direct contact with hazardous live parts is possible during normal kitchen operations, there is an immediate risk of fatal electric shock.
• Classification: Code C1 (Danger present. Risk of injury. Immediate remedial action required.)
• Procedure: The inspector immediately notifies the facilities manager and confirms the danger in writing. With agreement, the board is safely isolated and the correct durable blank fitted and secured. The inspector verifies the permanent repair and required enclosure protection, records the work and verification, and completes the remaining inspection. If no other C1 or C2 remains, the overall assessment may be SATISFACTORY; a merely temporary cover would leave the C1 and UNSATISFACTORY outcome outstanding.

Case Study 2: Reversed Polarity on External Lighting

• Scenario: An inspector tests decorative lighting at a public house. Line and neutral are transposed at a junction box. The old ES lampholders are not within the compliant E14/E27 exception; inspection establishes that energized screwed contacts are accessible during ordinary lamp replacement.
• Analysis: The observed accessible contact is energized at 230 V to earth, presenting an immediate shock risk during ordinary use. That established present danger supports C1. A generic final-circuit reversal without such present danger would normally be C2; compliant E14/E27 lampholders are excepted from the outer-contact-neutral requirement.
• Classification: Code C1 (Danger present. Risk of injury. Immediate remedial action required.)
• Procedure: The inspector explains the danger to the licensee and confirms it in writing. With agreement, the lighting circuit is safely isolated and secured against reconnection. Record the unresolved C1 and isolation on the EICR, with an UNSATISFACTORY assessment and immediate repair advice. Verify the completed correction before the circuit is returned to service.