The basis of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) is based on the concept of Risk Assessment.
A Risk Assessment is a quantifiable process to identify risk and hazards in a given task or undertaking, and then putting control measures in place to reduce/eliminate the incidence of accidents and ill health.
A hazard is something (action, object, process) with the potential to cause harm. A risk is the likelihood of that potential being realised.
It is unrealistic to carry out a Risk Assessment for every mundane day-to-day task. Employers will not be brought to task if the carrying out of a Risk Assessment would not have prevented the accident/ incident.
There is however a number of regulations that stipulates a Risk Assessment to be carried out:
Other areas where attention is required is that of Confined Spaces and Working at Height where the philosophy of Risk Assessment should be adopted.