Introduction 

Duty of care is a fundamental principle that requires employers to take reasonable steps to protect the health, safety, and well-being of their employees in the workplace. Safety professionals are the champions of this principle, advocating for safe systems of work, risk reduction, regulatory compliance, and promoting a culture where every worker returns home safely. Yet, despite dedicating their careers to protecting others, many occupational health and safety professionals find themselves working in environments where their own well-being is overlooked. Ironically, they are often among the employees most affected when duty of care fails.

The Weight of Responsibility 

Across Africa, safety practitioners frequently carry the emotional and professional burden of witnessing preventable incidents while struggling to influence organisational decisions. When employers fail to extend the same duty of care to those responsible for safeguarding others, the consequences reach far beyond the individual; they affect the entire workplace.

Safety practitioners occupy a unique position within organizations. They identify hazards, investigate incidents, recommend corrective actions, and advise management on protecting workers. However, their recommendations are not always welcomed or implemented. Many have experienced frustrations after repeatedly raising concerns about hazards, only to see them ignored until an accident occurs. This constant exposure to risk, combined with the pressure of accountability, creates an invisible burden.

Safety practitioners often carry the emotional weight of workplace injuries, fatalities, and near misses, even when decisions were beyond their control. Many experience stress, anxiety, burnout, and compassion fatigue from continuously advocating for safer workplaces while feeling unheard.

In some organisations, safety professionals also become targets of workplace bullying or isolation. They may be labelled as “too strict”, “difficult,” or “business obstacles” simply for insisting on compliance with legal requirements and ethical standards. Others face unrealistic workloads, limited resources, or pressure to compromise safety standards in favour of production targets.

The irony is striking: the very people entrusted with protecting employees are sometimes denied the protection they deserve. A true duty of care extends beyond providing personal protective equipment (PPE) or complying with legislation. It includes psychosocial safety, professional respect, adequate staffing, continuous training, manageable workloads, and access to mental support.

The Role of Leadership in this Reality 

Leadership plays a crucial role in changing this reality. Organisations should foster environments where safety professionals are treated as strategic partners rather than compliance officers.  Their expertise should inform decision-making, and their concerns should be acted upon promptly rather than being dismissed. Open communication, management support, and recognition of their contributions strengthen not only the well-being of safety professionals but also the effectiveness of the entire safety management system.

When organisations invest in the well-being of their safety teams, they create a ripple effect throughout the workforce. A supported safety professional is more engaged, more innovative, and better equipped to influence positive behavioral change. Ultimately, protecting the protectors strengthens the overall resilience and safety performance of an organisation.

Conclusion 

Duty of care should never stop with the workforce – it must also include those who dedicate their lives to protecting it. Safety professionals cannot continue carrying the emotional, psychosocial, and professional burden of workplace safety without receiving the same level of care they advocate for others.

As African workplaces continue to evolve, organisations must recognize that safeguarding safety professionals is not a privilege but a responsibility. By listening to their voices, respecting their expertise, supporting their well-being, and acting on their recommendations, employers build stronger safety cultures where everyone benefits. After all, the guardians of workplace safety deserve the same protection they work tirelessly to provide every single day. When we care for the caregivers, we create safer, healthier and more sustainable workplaces for all.