It IS Dangerous

I don't like it when people say that something "could be dangerous". That completely ignores what 'dangerous' actually means. 'Danger' is the risk of harm. It means that you are not guaranteed to be hurt, but that it can happen. Any situation that is dangerous therefore might result in harm, but may also not yield harm.

If a situation "could be dangerous", then you're saying that there is a possibility that a situation has a possibility of causing harm. And although it could be argued that such situations exist, I think of it as an overcomplication.

Handling radioactive material is dangerous. If you put radioactive material in a proper casing, you minimize the danger, but there is still a risk (for example, if the casing breaks). You might be tempted to say that this could be dangerous, but the reality is that it is dangerous. There is a risk of harm, which is the very definition of 'danger'.

This is one of those "think about the words you use and what they really mean" things. As always, most people would never really think about it, but they will still be manipulated by it. The reactions to "it is dangerous" and "it could be dangerous" are very different. Use the one that produces the reaction you want.