Question 1

Is a risk assessment a legal requirement in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Under Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR), every employer must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees and others affected by their work. The duty applies regardless of business size, sector, or number of employees. Self-employed people with no employees are generally exempt from MHSWR Regulation 3, except in prescribed higher-risk industries under the Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002.

Question 2

Who is required to have a risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

Any employer in Great Britain must carry out risk assessments under MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3. Additional requirements apply by industry: fire risk assessments are required for all non-domestic premises under Article 9 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005; COSHH assessments are required wherever hazardous substances are used under COSHH 2002 Regulation 6; construction work requires assessments under CDM 2015; early years settings require them under the EYFS Statutory Framework 2024.

Question 3

What does ‘suitable and sufficient’ mean?

Accepted Answer

A suitable and sufficient risk assessment under MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3(1) must identify significant risks, enable decisions on compliance measures, be appropriate to the nature of the work, and remain valid for a reasonable period. It does not need to anticipate every conceivable hazard — only foreseeable and significant ones. The HSE’s guidance L21 (Management of Health and Safety at Work) provides the authoritative explanation.

Question 4

What is the fine for not having a risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

Failure to carry out a risk assessment is a criminal offence under HSWA 1974 and MHSWR 1999. Magistrates Court: up to £20,000 per offence. Crown Court: unlimited fines. Directors and managers can be personally imprisoned for up to two years under Section 37 of HSWA 1974. The HSE’s Fee for Intervention (FFI) scheme charges £163 per hour for investigating material breaches.

Question 5

Does a sole trader need a risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

It depends. If you are genuinely self-employed with no employees, MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3 does not directly apply. However, if your work could harm others, Regulation 3(3) still requires an assessment. High-risk industries (construction, agriculture, gas work) under the Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002 require it regardless. In practice, most principal contractors and insurers require a written risk assessment before allowing any contractor on site. See: sole trader risk assessment guide.

Question 6

Do you need to write down a risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

Under MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3(5), employers with five or more employees must record significant findings in writing. Employers with fewer than five must still carry out the assessment but are not legally obliged to write it down — though the HSE strongly recommends doing so as evidence of compliance.

Question 7

How long is a risk assessment valid for?

Accepted Answer

There is no fixed legal expiry. Under MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3(3), review is required when there is reason to believe the assessment is no longer valid, or when there has been significant change to the work. Triggers: accidents or near-misses; new equipment, substances, or processes; changes to the workforce or environment; changes in legislation. Annual review is best practice.

Question 8

What are the 5 steps of a risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

The HSE’s 5-step process: (1) Identify the hazards; (2) Decide who might be harmed and how; (3) Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions, applying the hierarchy of controls; (4) Record significant findings — required in writing for employers with five or more employees under MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3(5); (5) Review and update when necessary. Set out in HSE guide INDG163 and reflecting MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3.

Question 9

What is the hierarchy of controls?

Accepted Answer

From most to least effective: (1) Elimination — remove the hazard; (2) Substitution — replace with something less hazardous; (3) Engineering controls — isolate people from the hazard; (4) Administrative controls — change how people work; (5) Personal protective equipment (PPE) — last resort only. Relying primarily on PPE without exhausting higher-level controls means an assessment is not suitable and sufficient under MHSWR 1999.

Question 10

What is a hazard and what is a risk?

Accepted Answer

A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm. A risk is the likelihood of the hazard causing harm, combined with the severity of that harm. Risk assessments assess risks (likelihood × severity), not just hazards. Example: electricity is a hazard; the risk to an unqualified person working on a live circuit is high likelihood and high severity.

Question 11

How long does a risk assessment take?

Accepted Answer

With Anyrisks, under 2 minutes. Describe your activity and the tool generates a complete UK-compliant document. For complex multi-site operations, thorough manual assessments may take several hours. There is no legal minimum time — what matters is that the assessment is suitable and sufficient for the actual risks.

Question 12

How often should a risk assessment be reviewed?

Accepted Answer

Under MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3(3), review is required when the assessment is no longer valid or when there has been significant change. Key triggers: a workplace accident, near-miss, or ill-health incident; new substances, equipment, or processes; changes to the workforce or environment; changes in legislation. Annual review is best practice regardless of changes.

Question 13

What is a dynamic risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

A dynamic risk assessment is a continuous, real-time assessment carried out as conditions change — used by emergency services, construction workers responding to unexpected site conditions, and security professionals. It supplements formal written risk assessments but does not replace them. Workers must be trained in the principles and triggers.

Question 14

What is a generic risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

A generic risk assessment covers a standard activity repeated across multiple locations where hazards and controls are essentially the same. Permitted under MHSWR 1999 where they genuinely reflect actual hazards and controls. A template applicable to any business in any sector is unlikely to be suitable and sufficient.

Question 15

What is a RAMS document?

Accepted Answer

RAMS: Risk Assessment and Method Statement. The method statement describes step by step how a task will be carried out safely — the procedural complement to the risk assessment. Standard in construction and engineering; routinely required by principal contractors before work begins. Anyrisks generates the risk assessment component.

Question 16

Do landlords need a fire risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Under Article 9 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person for any non-domestic premises — including common areas of HMOs — must carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. HMO landlords face additional requirements under the Housing Act 2004 Part 2 and HMO licensing conditions. See: RRO 2005 explained and HMO fire risk assessment.

Question 17

What does Ofsted look for in a risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

Ofsted evaluates compliance with the EYFS Statutory Framework 2024. Inspectors look for assessments covering outdoor areas, sleep areas, cooking facilities, outings, and any specific hazards relevant to children attending. EYFS paragraph 3.64 requires an assessment before any outing; paragraph 3.67 requires checks on all premises and equipment. Named paragraph citations carry more weight than generic statements. See: EYFS risk assessment requirements.

Question 18

Do I need a risk assessment for a music festival?

Accepted Answer

Yes. MHSWR 1999 and HSWA 1974 require event organisers to assess all significant hazards. The HSE’s Event Safety Guide (HSG195) is the authoritative guidance. Key areas: crowd density; temporary structures; electrical installations; fire; food safety; medical and welfare provision; noise; traffic. Most local authorities require a risk assessment as part of the event licence and Safety Advisory Group (SAG) process. See: music festival risk assessment.

Question 19

Does CDM 2015 apply to small contractors?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 apply to all construction work regardless of contractor size. If you engage even one subcontractor, you become the principal contractor and must prepare a construction phase plan before work starts. See: CDM Regulations 2015 explained.

Question 20

What risk assessment does a school trip require?

Accepted Answer

School trips require a risk assessment under MHSWR 1999. For off-site visits, the OEAP National Guidance (9th Edition) is the authoritative framework. EYFS paragraph 3.64 requires an assessment before any outing for early years settings. The DfE guidance on educational visits also applies to DfE-funded schools. See: school trip risk assessment.

Question 21

What is a COSHH risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

A COSHH assessment is required under COSHH 2002 Regulation 6 for substances hazardous to health. It must identify hazardous substances, assess exposure routes, evaluate risk using Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) from EH40, and specify control measures. Required in cleaning, hairdressing, construction, catering, healthcare, and any industry using hazardous chemicals or biological agents. See: COSHH Regulations 2002 explained.

Question 22

When does work at height require a specific risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

Any work from which a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury requires a risk assessment under the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and MHSWR 1999. No minimum height threshold. The assessment must follow the Regulation 6 hierarchy: avoid; prevent falls using collective measures; minimise consequences using fall arrest systems. See: Work at Height Regulations 2005 explained.

Question 23

Does a restaurant need a risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Under MHSWR 1999, restaurant owners must assess all significant hazards: burns and scalds, slips and trips, manual handling, COSHH substances, allergen management under Natasha’s Law, lone working, and fire. A HACCP plan is also required under Regulation (EC) 852/2004. See: restaurant risk assessment.

Question 24

What manual handling assessment is required?

Accepted Answer

Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, employers must avoid hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable, and where not, assess using the Schedule 1 TILE framework: Task, Individual, Load, Environment. No legal maximum weight — risk depends on the combination of all four factors. See: Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.

Question 25

Do retail businesses need a risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Under MHSWR 1999, all retail businesses must assess: slips and trips; manual handling; working at height; lone working; violence and aggression; COSHH substances. RIDDOR 2013 also requires reporting of certain injuries. See: retail risk assessment.

Question 26

Does a market stall need a risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Market stall operators are subject to MHSWR 1999. Key hazards: structure stability, manual handling, electrical safety, fire (LPG or cooking), slips and trips. Local authority trading standards and market operators typically require a risk assessment and public liability insurance before allowing trading. See: market stall risk assessment.

Question 27

What risk assessment does a bouncy castle operator need?

Accepted Answer

Operators must assess: PIPA or ADIPS annual equipment inspection; anchoring and set-up; supervision ratios; maximum user weights; weather (wind speed limits); public liability. PIPA-registered inflatables carry a verifiable tag number. Public liability insurance with minimum £5 million cover is effectively mandatory for commercial operation. See: bouncy castle risk assessment.

Question 28

How does Anyrisks work?

Accepted Answer

Anyrisks is an AI-powered risk assessment generator. Describe your activity, trade, or event in plain English and the tool generates a fully written, UK-compliant risk assessment in under 2 minutes — covering specific hazards, people at risk, control measures, and relevant UK regulatory references. No templates, no H&S consultant required.

Question 29

How much does a risk assessment from Anyrisks cost?

Accepted Answer

Each risk assessment costs £29. No subscription, no hidden fees, no minimum commitment. Pay once and download immediately. An annual plan is available for businesses needing multiple assessments — see the annual plan.

Question 30

Is a risk assessment from Anyrisks accepted by insurers and contractors?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Anyrisks generates professional, fully written risk assessments with specific regulation references, named hazards, and control measures — the same standard as H&S consultants. Thousands of UK businesses use them for contractor vetting, insurance, local authority event licences, and Ofsted inspections.

Question 31

Can I edit the risk assessment after I receive it?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The assessment is delivered as a downloadable document you can edit, brand, and update as working practices change. You own it outright. Generate a new one at any time through Anyrisks.

Question 32

Does Anyrisks cover my specific industry?

Accepted Answer

Anyrisks covers all major UK industries: construction trades, hospitality, events, education, fire and property, retail, beauty, cleaning, and more. If your industry is not listed, describe your specific activity in the generator and the AI produces a relevant assessment.

Question 33

What format is the risk assessment delivered in?

Accepted Answer

A formatted, professional downloadable document including: organisation details, activity assessed, identified hazards, people at risk, control measures, residual risk rating, and UK regulatory references relevant to your industry. Ready to print, share with principal contractors, or store digitally.

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