After 20 years as chairman of the VDSI, Prof. Dr. Arno Weber has been made an honorary member. Image: HFU Image below: Schwinghammer
Prof. Dr. Arno Weber is safety and security expert at Furtwangen University
Admittedly, occupational safety is not an easy topic. Protection against hazards in the workplace is regulated by numerous ordinances and laws. However, the inclusion of this topic in many paragraphs is a relatively new field. Prof. Dr. Arno Weber, an expert in occupational safety, remembers the early days well. “I first came into contact with the topic during my doctorate,” he reports. As a chemist, he was researching solid-state ion conductors (for later use in batteries) and was working in the laboratories of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, “and suddenly we were told that we now had to implement and comply with a hazardous substances regulation.” Before that, people used to smoke or barbecue in the laboratories, where large quantities of flammable liquids were stored, Weber laughs. So he became a “hazardous substances officer” – and remained involved in the safety sector.
“Since there were no jobs for chemists in the mid-1990s, I decided to specialise further,” Weber explains. He eventually started his own business as an occupational safety specialist. “Even today, this is still a very sought-after field,” says Arno Weber. “Every company needs an occupational safety expert, and smaller businesses in particular often hire these specialists from outside.”
Arno Weber's expertise is in demand and has resulted in a pretty impressive curriculum vitae. In the past, besides various lecturing positions, he was a consultant for chemical senses at the “Tower of the Senses” museum in Nuremberg, and later at VDSI – the Association for Safety and Environmental Protection at Work. Through district group and working group leadership, he became chairman of the Qualification Department in 2004, then was elected chairman of the entire association. Weber served on the board on a voluntary basis for 20 years, continuing long after he joined Furtwangen University.
Arno Weber has also been a member of various committees, e.g., the accident insurance carriers, and headed departments and projects. In addition to his work as a professor at HFU, in January, Professor Weber was reappointed as a member of the “Committee for Safety and Health at Work” by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. “The Occupational Health and Safety Act provides for advisory committees to develop technical rules,” explains Weber, who has been a member of the committee since 2021 and is its spokesperson. He also sits on a subcommittee of the Committee for Maternity Protection at the Federal Ministry of Education, Family, Seniors, Women, and Youth, and together with a colleague from occupational medicine, he has been the scientific director of the North Bavarian Forum “Health and Safety” for 24 years.
In a nutshell − this man holds a dizzying number of positions. All at the same time.
With so many tasks, it is clear that Weber has an excellent network. “But the ‘occupational safety scene’ is also manageable,” he says. Furtwangen University is one of only five universities nationwide that trains safety engineers in accordance with the Occupational Safety Act. “Our Security and Safety Engineering degree programme is actually unique in Germany,” says Weber.
He reports with satisfaction on the successful negotiations he has achieved in occupational safety, how he was able to avert sudden rule changes. He talks about how he and his students evaluate technical rules in semester projects, or sometimes check playgrounds to see if all standards have been met. The 60-year-old has a knack for looking closely, digging deeper, and checking things thoroughly. In his private life, he applies this talent to his hobby, model railroading. Weber has also been active in the peace movement for decades.
Occupational safety is not something that happens in the spotlight. This important field is often underestimated. Prof. Dr. Weber doesn't mind. “I do it because I want to make a difference,” he says simply. And he is delighted when he meets many of his former students in influential positions in occupational safety. “They're just like me,” he laughs. “One thing leads to another.”
Professors in the spotlight:
In this series, we introduce the distinguished scientists who teach and conduct research at Furtwangen University. HFU is a university of applied sciences, which means that its professors have many years of practical experience. We present their fascinating personal and professional stories here.
