What the law says on assessing risks
The law states that a risk assessment must be 'suitable and sufficient', ie it should show that:
- a proper check was made
- you asked who might be affected
- you dealt with all the obvious significant risks, taking into account the number of people who could be involved
- the precautions are reasonable, and the remaining risk is low
- you involved your workers or their representatives in the process
The level of detail in a risk assessment should be proportionate to the risk and appropriate to the nature of the work. Insignificant risks can usually be ignored, as can risks arising from routine activities associated with life in general, unless the work activity compounds or significantly alters those risks.
Your risk assessment should only include what you could reasonably be expected to know - you are not expected to anticipate unforeseeable risks.
