Further investigation (FI)
An code for a possible issue the inspector can't classify until more is found out. It isn't a fault-finding job, and BPG4 says a code should generally be possible in a domestic installation without one. On the A4 model report, FI is advisory and doesn't change the overall assessment by itself, but the person who ordered the report should get it looked into as soon as possible.
Using Further investigation (FI) in context
Reviewed
A distinction worth remembering
Condition reporting is about the installation inspected and the risk identified. A difference from a current recommendation is not automatically a dangerous defect. Describe the observation, extent and limitation clearly, and distinguish a justified further-investigation recommendation from work that could have been completed within the agreed inspection.
Questions to take further
- How can I revise Further investigation (FI) beyond the definition?
- Explain what Further investigation (FI) describes, compare it with a related term and use it in a topic question. State any assumptions and what evidence you would need before applying the idea to real work.
Sources
- IET: further investigation and EICRs under Amendment 4 — The role of investigation and evidence in condition reporting.
- IET: inspection and testing FAQs — Inspection, test interpretation and protecting equipment during testing.
Where Further investigation (FI) fits in the learning path
The Testing & Inspection section covers these units:
- Initial Verification & Dead Testing
- Live Testing
- Inspection & Certification
Curriculum mapping: C&G 2365 Unit 304 / 2391.
See this section in the full curriculum
This section is on the Plus path. Lesson availability depends on content review and your learning path.
Read, practise, return
1. Read it in context
- EICR Codes C1, C2 and C3Testing & Inspection
2. Try recalling, then explore practice
Use the memory prompt below to connect the vocabulary.
- Inspection & Testing — quiz previewPlus · Testing & Inspection
3. Return to the meaning
After reading or practising, explain the idea in your own words, then check what you remembered.
Recall a related term
Which term fits this definition? Say it to yourself, then reveal it. This is a memory prompt, with no score or saved result.
The report produced by a periodic inspection of an existing installation, recording its condition against the current edition of BS 7671. Observations are classified by urgency — C1 for danger present, C2 for potentially dangerous, C3 for improvement recommended, and FI where further investigation is needed — and a C1 or C2 makes the report unsatisfactory.
Compare related terms
Open a meaning to compare its role with Further investigation (FI), or follow its full entry.
EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report
The report produced by a periodic inspection of an existing installation, recording its condition against the current edition of BS 7671. Observations are classified by urgency — C1 for danger present, C2 for potentially dangerous, C3 for improvement recommended, and FI where further investigation is needed — and a C1 or C2 makes the report unsatisfactory.
Read the EICR entryLimitation (EICR)
Something that stops part of an installation being inspected or tested during a periodic inspection, recorded on the report with its reasons. Agreed limitations are settled with the person ordering the report, and operational ones turn up on site, such as a locked room. The more there are, the less the report can tell anyone, and a limitation never excuses hiding a known danger.
Read the Limitation (EICR) entryRemedial work
Work that puts right a defect an inspection found, such as a C1 or C2 on an EICR. It's recorded on its own paperwork, normally a Minor Works Certificate or an Electrical Installation Certificate, because an EICR reports on condition and isn't issued for a repair. In rented homes in England, and private tenancies in Northern Ireland, the landlord has to get a qualified person to do it within 28 days of the inspection, or sooner if the report says so. Wales and Scotland set their landlord duties in their own laws, so check the rules for where the home is.
Read the Remedial work entryA definition is a start. Using it in a real question is where it sticks.