If it’s not reported, it’s not counted
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 131 No 7, 2 October 2026, page no.11
Reporting WHS hazards and incidents in MyHR WHS
One of the most important actions members can take to improve health and safety in schools is to report hazards, incidents, and near misses through the department’s MyHR WHS system.
Simply put, if a hazard or incident is not reported in MyHR WHS, it is unlikely to be reflected in the department’s WHS data, making it harder to identify risks, implement effective controls, and secure improvements for workers.
OneSchool is not a WHS reporting system
A common misconception across schools is that recording a student-related event in OneSchool is sufficient to address workplace safety concerns. It is not.
OneSchool is primarily a student information management system. It records student behaviour, wellbeing, attendance, and disciplinary information. While information entered into OneSchool may be useful from a student management perspective, it is not the department’s legislatively required WHS incident and hazard management system.
The department, as the “person conducting a business or undertaking” (PCBU), has legal obligations under Queensland WHS legislation to identify hazards, assess risks, implement controls, monitor effectiveness, and continually improve workplace health and safety outcomes. The MyHR WHS system is the department’s designated system for meeting these obligations.
For QTU members, this distinction is critical. A report entered only into OneSchool may not trigger the WHS processes required to investigate workplace hazards, assess risks to workers, review existing controls, or identify trends across schools and regions.
Occupational violence and aggression must be recorded as a WHS incident
While occupational violence and aggression often involve students and may be recorded in OneSchool, they are also workplace incidents that affect workers. They must therefore be reported through MyHR WHS.
This makes them visible within organisational safety data, which enables schools, regions, and the department to identify patterns, understand the frequency and severity of risks, and determine whether existing controls are adequately protecting workers.
Good data drives better safety outcomes
Effective WHS management relies on accurate and comprehensive information. Collectively, this helps answer important questions:
- Are incidents increasing in particular settings?
- Are certain hazards becoming more common?
- Which schools require additional support?
- Are risk controls actually working?
- Where should resources be directed?
When reporting levels are low, data may incorrectly suggest that risks are being effectively managed when the reality is very different.
Reporting supports the review of risk controls
A fundamental principle of WHS legislation is that risk controls must be monitored and reviewed to ensure they remain effective. Controls that do not adequately manage risks must be modified and improved.
This is particularly important in relation to occupational violence and aggression.
If incidents continue to occur despite existing controls, the data generated through MyHR WHS can demonstrate that there is a clear basis for review and improvement.
Every report matters
Members sometimes hesitate to report hazards or incidents because they believe the issue is minor, unlikely to result in injury, or already known to management.
However, WHS reporting is not simply about documenting injuries. It is about identifying risks before more serious consequences occur.
Near misses, recurring hazards, and lower-level incidents often provide early warning signs that workplace risks are not being effectively controlled.
A strong reporting culture helps ensure that emerging risks are identified early and addressed proactively.
A collective responsibility
Creating safer schools requires commitment from workers, school leaders, and, importantly, the department.
By reporting hazards, near misses, incidents, and occupational violence and aggression through MyHR WHS, members help ensure that:
- workplace risks are formally recognised
- the department’s WHS obligations are activated
- accurate safety data is available
- trends and emerging risks can be identified
- risk controls can be reviewed and improved
- resources can be directed where they are needed most
- safer workplaces can be created for all staff.