Schools have a legal, moral, and ethical responsibility to provide a safe environment for
students to learn and staff to work. This study examined whether a preliminary risk management
and safety handbook was effective as a tool to support public school principals to be competent
risk managers. In this report, risk management is defined, including its legal implications for
schools. Through this study, I concluded which design was most effective and what content
should be included in a handbook for school principals. Responses from interviews and focus
groups were collected and analyzed to determine themes, which were then used to obtain
feedback from school principals on the Handbook. The themes were related to relevant literature
to inform the study's conclusion and recommendations. The results of the research will hopefully
influence leadership development within school divisions and support school principals in
meeting their legal obligation to ensure a safe and caring learning and work environment for
students, staff, and visitors.