The Australian Catholic University (ACU) published research this month with a disturbing top line statistic - 80% of Principals have experienced critical incidents in their schools including violent security threats, mental health crises, suicide attempts and medical emergencies. 

The study found that the most common critical incidents reported by Australian schools include:

1. security threats - 21.2%;

2. mental health crises - 12.3%;

3. suicidal threats or attempts - 10.8%; 

4. bullying - 10.8%; and 

5. medical emergencies - 9.9%.

This statistic represents a tragically increasing reality for schools - they are on the front line of societal breakdown and disconnection. Principals and their workforce are confronting these issues every day. 

A critical incident is ordinarily a serious injury or death that will impact upon a person and is often reportable to a safety authority. The research from the ACU has expanded that definition to include threats, violence and emergencies.

Across Australia, all schools are deemed to be a workplace and are obliged to provide a safe environment for all workers, including Principals. This duty extends not only to schools but also officers, those people who have the ability to influence the management of health and safety in the workplace.

In recent years, and in greater recognition of the impact of the critical incidents identified in the ACU research, workplaces have had to particularly engage with psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Psychosocial hazards are any hazards that can impact a worker's mental or psychological health and safety at work.

As the end of the year approaches and educators take a well earned break from their labours, it is timely for schools to reassess the effectiveness of their critical incident response systems and management of psychosocial hazards in the workplace. When an incident occurs, it is not always because the workplace lacks a safety system, but rather because the safety system has not been properly implemented, understood and utilised.

To discharge its safety obligations as a workplace, a school must:

1. Identify risks to health and safety - the where, when, what and how of any incident. This identification process can be done by reviewing past incident data, and for some schools, it may involve examining data from other schools in your network or diocese.  

2. Assess the risk - can the risk be prevented from occurring? Is it possible to stop the risk or can steps only be taken to mitigate and reduce the risk?

3. Manage the risk - review current policies and procedures to ensure that they adequately respond to critical incidents. The adequacy of the response is assisted by the data available to you, which may identify certain risks that can be proactively managed. Consideration could be given to the introduction of a vicarious trauma policy and what steps the school can take to provide additional support to staff involved in critical incidents.

4. Implement a risk management strategy - Most safety systems fail because of a lack of appropriate and consistent implementation. Ordinarily implementation looks like updated training and policies. We recommend a broader approach that ensures the entire school community, including the teaching workforce and the board of directors (or equivalent), understands the steps a school must take to manage risk. For example, a trauma informed workshop that practically helps staff to engage with a critical incident.

5. Reassess your strategy regularly. Whenever a critical incident occurs, you should assess it against your current framework and adjust accordingly.

When you conduct a review of your safety systems, utilising legal professional privilege to assist with the review could mean that any glaring gaps in your safety system are identified and resolved without those gaps needing to be exposed to a safety regulator at a future point.

As the leader of your school, you are charged with ensuring the workplace is safe for everyone, including yourself. Undertaking a review, under legal professional privilege could allow you to make some changes now that help you and your community stay safe not just in the lead up to Christmas but in the year to come.