As with so many other areas of the economy, safety professionals have seen their share of cutbacks, or even the outright elimination of positions within the safety field. The economic downturn has significantly affected the way that many of us do our jobs. Often, there are fewer people who we need to attend to. In other cases, the programs that we provide have to be significantly reduced or outright eliminated due to the lack of funding. And for those safety professionals who are self-employed or who work for firms that provide services to other organizations, the loss of clients due to business failures or reductions has impacted us significantly. While there are hopes that a recovery is on the horizon, that horizon may sometimes feel like the proverbial rainbow with a pot of gold waiting for us. No matter how close it seems, it is always just a little further down the road.
One area that has not seen as significant a reduction for many safety professionals is that of litigation consultation. For many, the area of litigation consultation is often just dismissed as being one of serving as an expert witness. However the field is much broader in scope. Many safety professionals are finding new work in the area and finding it to be both financially profitable, as well as opening up areas that are challenging and rewarding on many levels.
