Legal aspects of risk assessment

The general duties of employers to their employees in section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 imply the need for risk assessment. This duty was also extended by section 3 of the Act to anybody else affected by activities of the employer - contractors, visitors, customers or members of the public. However, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations are much more specific concerning the need for risk assessment. The following requirements are laid down in those regulations  

The term suitable and sufficient is important since it defines the limits to the risk assessment process. A 

A detailed comparison of the risk assessments required for most of these and more specialist regulations is given in the HSE Guide to Risk Assessment Requirements, INDG218. 

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