How can risk assessment help address the dilemma between rights and health and safety?

Assessing the risk of a particular activity or situation will provide a semi-objective description of the likelihood of that activity impinging in an undesirable way on those doing the activity, on others, or on the environment. This can help those performing an activity to do it with less risk and can contribute information that can be used to assess whether the likelihood of injury to others, for example, is so great that it overrides the "right" of someone to perform that activity.

In many places, everybody has a right to take risks. We all take risks in our day-to-day lives. A risk assessment is not intended to prevent an individual from doing things they wish to do, but to identify the level of risk associated with specific activities so that precautions can be taken when warranted.