Workplace risk assessments are not optional, they are a legal requirement. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), states that under the provisions of the Management of the Health and Safety at Work Regulations, 1999, employers must:
identify what could cause injury or illness in your business (hazards)
decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously (the risk)
take action to eliminate the hazard, or if this isn’t possible, control the risk
These are the minimum requirements your employer must meet to comply
with the law.