Purpose: The overall quality of education may be compromised due to the limited availability of safety and security (S&S) courses in professional teacher education. The purpose of this paper is to identify the main safety-related training needs of a higher education institution, which may provide insights for improving the quality of education from a safety perspective. Design/methodology/approach: This study included 17 interviews with students and staff experienced in S&S due to their professions. The study also used Laurea University of Applied Sciences' (Laurea) S&S reports, which have a variety of S&S events from 28 October 2020 to 20 December 2021. Both data sets were analyzed using qualitative theory-driven content analysis. Findings: Safety risks at schools are mainly constructed through the negative psychosocial atmosphere and lack of safety knowledge and/or skills. There is a need for safety training covering key topics such as crime prevention, violence, fire safety and understanding inclusion and diversity. Practical implications: The study proposes a new risk-based training and development management model for school management and the planning of training activities. Social implications: The analysis offers valuable perceptions of the S&S challenges of educational institutions, which can be used as a starting point to enhance overall educational quality and safety. Originality/value: This paper provides a novel way of improving the safety of education by approaching training needs from a risk assessment perspective.