Who needs to perform a risk assessment before a radiography practice can begin?

• A. NHS
• B. Health and Safety Executive
• C. Local Authority
• D. Radiation Safety Officer

Answer: (B)

The important idea is that starting radiography must be preceded by a formal risk assessment to protect people from ionising radiation. This requirement comes from health and safety law, and the body responsible for enforcing it in the UK is the Health and Safety Executive. They set and monitor the standards for how radiation risks are identified, evaluated, and controlled, ensuring measures are in place to keep exposures as low as reasonably practicable. The actual task of carrying out the assessment falls to the employer or the person in charge of the radiography service, who must document hazards, exposure scenarios, and controls. The Health and Safety Executive is the one that imposes and enforces this obligation, which is why it is the best answer.