About one or two out of every ten readers (16 percent, to be exact) plan to start their own consulting business in 1998, according to this year's White Paper research survey. What are they getting into? Are environmental health and safety consultants bullish or bearish about prospects for the coming year? Two hundred and seventy-one consultants responded to the White Paper survey. Let's look at how they answered questions about issues and trends in the field.
First, a few demographics. The average consultant surveyed for the White Paper is 45 years old. Eighty-six percent are male. Sixty-two percent work in firms with 100 or fewer employees. Twenty-nine percent primarily focus on safety; 19 percent on industrial hygiene, and 19 percent on environmental affairs. Another 16 percent provide operations or engineering services. (The need to be multi-disciplined in consulting is clear: 78 percent of consultants surveyed handle safety; 68 percent are involved in health and industrial hygiene, and 59 percent are involved in environmental areas. Crossover responsibilities are more common in consulting than with White Paper respondents in general.)