Hidden Dangers: Why Ignoring Unsatisfactory EICRs Puts Your Business at Risk 🚫💡
- Ryan O'Toole
- May 14
- 2 min read
How many out-of-date electrical reports are gathering dust in the UK?
More than you might think. According to recent industry estimates, over 60% of commercial and industrial buildings across the UK either:
❌ Are operating with expired Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs), or
❌ Have received unsatisfactory reports that have never been actioned.
A study by Electrical Safety First also suggests that 1 in 5 businesses fail to carry out regular inspections or testing of their electrical installations at all.
This isn’t just a paperwork problem. It’s a safety risk, a compliance issue, and potentially a costly liability.
A report isn’t a tick-box exercise. It’s a roadmap to compliance 📄🚧
EICRs (also known as Fixed Wire Tests) aren’t designed to be filed away and forgotten. Yet, we see it time and time again:
“Unsatisfactory” reports uploaded to CAFM or maintenance portals, never revisited
Observations that highlight C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) issues left unresolved
Insurance and health & safety documentation signed off under the assumption that everything is up to date
It’s the equivalent of having your car fail its MOT, but still driving it anyway.
Common reasons reports are ignored?
🧢 Lack of electrical understanding from facilities teams
🤔 Misinterpretation of coding and terminology
⏳ Reactive maintenance culture ("we’ll fix it when it fails")
📅 Delays from budget approvals
But excuses don’t protect you from the consequences.
The reality of unsatisfactory reports:
🚨 They could invalidate insurance policies
📈 They increase risk of fire or electric shock
⚠️ They open up liability for directors and duty holders
🪨 They could lead to downtime, HSE notices, or prosecution in the worst-case scenarios
Why we write these blogs — and why you need to read your reports 📃🔍
At Mech-Elec, we don’t just test and upload a PDF.
We:
Provide clear, plain-English explanations of your results
Break down what needs fixing, what’s urgent, and what can be planned
Offer quotes and remedial works packages to help you act
Help your team understand the implications for compliance and safety
We believe in education, transparency, and partnership. That’s why we publish these posts — to keep the industry informed, alert, and proactive.
Don’t let your next EICR become another ignored document.
If you don’t know when your last Fixed Wire Test was done — or worse, you know it was unsatisfactory and nothing was done — it’s time to act.
📌 Book a free consultation.
🔍 Let us audit your current report.
🚀 Start a plan to get your site compliant.
📍 Mech-Elec Building Services proudly delivers expert MEP solutions across the East Midlands and beyond — covering Nottingham, Mansfield, Grantham, Derby, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Boston, Leicester, Lincoln, Worksop, Loughborough, Skegness, Matlock, Newark, Chesterfield, and Buxton. We also support clients nationwide who require a reliable and knowledgeable compliance partner for multi-site operations across the UK.
📞 Contact us today: Mech-Elec Building Services
📱 0115 667 0244
📧 info@mech-elecbuildingservices.co.uk
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