Yes risk assessments are complex, and people can choose to pay a company to come and do an assessment on their behalf, at a price.

However, many people find it cheaper and easier to order a DVD talking them through it ( a good example is the range for sale at http://www.fireprotectiononline.co.uk/fire-training-risk-assessment/) or use the free forms from the government website talking you through what should be addressed and how on your premises, these are not only vastly cheaper alternatives but also they enable the owners to get a better understanding of feel for their company and where there are possible issues that need to be addressed, also doing it this way people are able to involve the entire staff so that everyone is aware of the safety procedures ( Ours took us at most half a day using a training DVD).

Once the assessment has been completed people are then able to buy the necessary items from a supplier of their choice, rather than often feeling under pressure to buy it from the risk assessment company usually at a higher price.

So really it is a matter of choice, whether someone would do it themselves to gain a better understanding and get more value for their money or possibly save time but lay out more cost getting a company to do it for them.

This is can be quite a complex process to manage hence sometimes it is better to call upon the expertise of a trained external assessor to complete the assessment.