What is a Risk Assessment and why it’s important

Posted on January 20, 2026

By Steve Wallace

I’ve been around health and safety long enough to know that risk assessments are often misunderstood. Too many people think they’re just paperwork, something you do to keep inspectors happy. That’s wrong.

A risk assessment is a way of thinking. It’s about asking the right questions before something goes wrong: what am I doing, what could go wrong, who could get hurt, what can I do to stop that happening, and how will I keep this assessment under review.

The paper is only there to show that the thought process has been done. Without the thinking, the paper is worthless.

The tragedy at Haverfordwest in October 2021 proves the point. Nine paddleboarders went onto the River Cleddau despite flood warnings and hazardous conditions at the town weir. Four drowned. In April 2025, the tragedy hit the headlines again when the organiser was sentenced to more than ten years in prison for gross negligence manslaughter. The court heard that planning was inadequate, leaders lacked qualifications, and foreseeable hazards were ignored. A proper risk assessment would have stopped that trip before it started.

The Health and Safety Executive makes it clear that employers must carry out a “suitable and sufficient” risk assessment under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

That means identifying hazards, deciding who might be harmed, evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm, and putting in place measures to eliminate or control the risk. Findings must be recorded if five or more employees are involved, and assessments must be reviewed regularly.

These are not hoops to jump through. They are the basics of protecting people.

Lessons from recent cases

I’ve seen many other cases where organisations failed to do that thinking. In January 2025, Greenlife Property Developments Ltd was fined £40,000 after HSE inspectors found workers inside a 2.5 metre deep unsupported excavation in Aberdare. The risk of collapse was obvious, yet no risk assessment or safe system of work had been carried out.

In June 2025, Reaseheath College was fined £40,000 after failing to carry out suitable risk assessments for staff and students, while in July 2025, Oakminster Healthcare Ltd was fined £50,000 for inadequate controls that left employees and residents exposed to preventable harm. Each of these incidents could have been prevented if someone had stopped to ask the right questions. They underline a simple truth: health and safety law is built on the principle that foreseeable risks must be assessed and controlled.

Risk Assessment as a shared process

Risk assessments and method statements are not just legal requirements. They are positive tools for workers. They provide clarity about what is expected, reassurance that hazards have been considered, and confidence that controls are in place. The whole practice of health and safety, if it is done properly, is a positive for both business and worker. The assessments that we employ, the safe procedures we have are about putting it down to communicate effectively to others – this is how we want you to do the job and letting you have input into how you do that job. When workers are involved in risk assessments and safe operating procedures they realise why the controls are in place and are more likely to comply.

When workers are involved the benefits are even greater. A risk assessment written in isolation can feel like a management exercise. But when employees contribute their knowledge of the job, the hazards they face, and the practical measures that work, the assessment becomes a living document. It reflects reality, not theory. It empowers workers by recognising their expertise and giving them a voice in how risks are managed.

Method statements add further value by setting out step by step how a task will be carried out safely. For the worker, this means clarity, consistency, and protection. For the organisation, it means demonstrating competence and control. Together, risk assessments and method statements create a framework where safety is not imposed but shared. They show that the organisation is serious about protecting people, and they give workers confidence that their well-being is valued.

Ownership, Foresight, Empowerment, Confidence

For me, risk assessment is about ownership, foresight, empowerment and confidence. Ownership means everyone involved accepts their part in recognising hazards and agreeing the controls.

Foresight is the discipline of asking “what if?” before the accident happens and acting on the answers. Empowerment comes when workers contribute their own knowledge of the job to shape assessments. And confidence is what follows.

When those four come together, risk assessment stops being a tick box exercise and becomes a living process. It is not about paper; it is about people. It is about making sure that every decision, and every job is grounded in the shared commitment to keep people safe.