A lot of the ability to judge risk has been washed away from the younger generation, with the nanny state judging what risks are or are not acceptable, when I was younger I made a decision, if it was the wrong one and i got hurt I accepted that I had messed up and learned not to do it again, yet so much is not allowed now that the ability to learn from mistakes and judge risks is becoming a dying art.
I have also through work been lucky enough to do a course with the health and safety executive to assess risk assessments, this means I can read through a risk assessment and check to see that all of the aspects of the risks have been taken into account, you would be stunned by the number of risk assessments that miss the obvious, for example a risk assessment made for carrying something that states you will carry this with both hands at all times, but doesnt factor in the 3 doorways that have to be opened with one hand while you hold the item with the other two. the course teaches you to see the risk in the ordinary as well as the risk from other factors.