‘Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week’ offers daily virtual events to raise awareness about grain handling and storage hazards

ARLINGTON, Va. March 29, 2021 — The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) and the Grain Handling Safety Council (GHSC) today launched its fifth annual, weeklong safety outreach effort – “Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week” – to help raise awareness about grain handling and storage hazards and provide safety education and training.

Throughout the Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week, which is March 29-April 2, 2021, companies may participate by providing a focused activity and/or toolbox talk for employees on any hazard-prevention measure. Featured topics that NGFA and its safety partners will highlight throughout the week include: near-miss reporting, grain quality, bin safety and emergency action plans.  

“The past year has been notable – to say the least – when it comes to health and safety in all aspects of our lives,” said NGFA President and CEO Mike Seyfert in a Stand Up 4 Grain Safety kickoff video that aired March 29. “We’ve learned that small changes can make a big impact. Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week features virtual events and resources focusing on small changes that can reduce unnecessary hazards and potentially save lives of family members, friends and colleagues who handle and store our grain. We encourage all companies to participate in this effort and show their continued commitment to the health and safety of their employees.”

Participating companies are encouraged to register for daily virtual events throughout the week and fill out information about their safety activities on standup4grainsafety.org, which provides training materials and a certificate of participation. Participants can share safety success stories on social media with #StandUp4GrainSafety.

The campaign is hosted under the auspices of the “Alliance” between NGFA, OSHA, GEAPS and GHSC.

The NGFA, through funding provided by the National Grain and Feed Foundation, has a suite of free safety resources available to use through the week on ngfa.org/safety.

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NGFA, established in 1896, consists of more than 1,000 grain, feed, processing, exporting and other grain-related companies that operate more than 7,000 facilities and handle more than 70 percent of all U.S. grains and oilseeds. Its membership includes grain elevators; feed and feed ingredient manufacturers; biofuels companies; grain and oilseed processors and millers; exporters; livestock and poultry integrators; and associated firms that provide goods and services to the nation’s grain, feed and processing industry. NGFA also consists of 33 affiliated State and Regional Grain and Feed Associations, and NGFA is co-located and has a strategic alliance with North American Export Grain Association, and a strategic alliance with Pet Food Institute.