2020 Stand Up for Grain Safety Week
NGFA Kickoff Day Statement
April 13, 2020 | View in PDF
As the food and agricultural industry continues to work to provide essential human and animal
food during the COVID-19 pandemic — during which grain, feed and processing facility
employees have been deemed part of the nation’s ‘critical essential infrastructure’ — it may be
more important than ever to bring awareness and practicability to best safety practices for grain
handlers to maintain and protect our robust workforce.
In a long history of promoting workplace safety and health within the industry, the NGFA
entered a new era of safety commitment when it signed an alliance with the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) in 2017, providing an opportunity for our industry and the
agency to work together more closely to expand access to safety information.
With the help of safety partners — the Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) and the
Grain Handling Safety Council (GHSC) — the Alliance now enters its third year of hosting the
Stand Up for Grain Safety Week, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about grain handling
and storage hazards, provide education and training, and convey safety best practices.
Throughout the week, the Alliance will highlight important safety topics essential to the
operations of grain handling facilities, including: Preventive maintenance; machine/conveyor
guarding; grain bin entry; and slips, trips and falls.
This year’s event also will be supplemented with safety-related information to protect employees
during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a new NGFA Safety Tips Sheet and other resources
that can be found on ngfa.org/covid-19.
During a stressful and uncertain time, let’s unite as an industry and “stand up for grain safety”
together.
NGFA encourages all companies to participate in this effort and show their continued
commitment to the health and safety of their employees. Share information about your
company’s safety activities during the week on standup4grainsafety.org, which provides training
materials and a certificate of participation.
JoAnn Brouillette
NGFA Chairman
Managing Partner and President, Demeter LP
Fowler, Ind.