This paper deals with how the increasing use of notions such as ‘risk awareness’ and ‘blame’ in relation to school affects the daily work of Swedish teachers. The authors provide examples of how the introduction of the risk society and audit cultures encourages the creation of new strategies for coping. Two of these strategies concern the mediation of ‘safe school’ images and preventions in order to avoid future blame. The authors depict them as strategies of assurance and insurance.