MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S. – Registration is now open for four grain handling operations courses from the Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) and Kansas State University (KSU) Distance Education Program. These online courses run from Oct. 31 – Dec. 2, and registration closes Oct. 25. Courses are open to anyone, even if they are not a GEAPS member or a student enrolled at KSU.
Online registration and more information on individual courses are available on the GEAPS/KSU Distance Education Program website.
GEAPS 510: Grain Facilities Planning and Design I
This course covers the key factors and information needed to build new facilities or modernize existing structures. Lectures cover facility types and capacities, storage structures, equipment, layouts and site selection. At the end of the course, participants will be asked to lay out a simple facility. This course is ideal for grain company executives, regional and local facility managers and supervisors, equipment vendors and others involved with planning and designing a new grain facility or updating or expanding an existing facility.
GEAPS 521: Aeration System Design and Fan Operational Management
Participants will learn the purpose of grain aeration, system components and how to develop strategies for aeration system design and fan operational management. The course covers basic principles of designing and operating grain aeration systems to maintain grain quality during storage. It is intended for facility and systems designers, aeration systems vendors, facility owners and operators, elevator superintendents, location or regional managers, and anyone with a professional need to learn more about aeration system design and efficient fan operation management.
GEAPS 544: Preventing Grain Dust Explosions
This course provides an overview of what causes grain dust explosions, how to prevent them and the potentially disastrous consequences of explosions. It also will provide insight on how to gauge the effectiveness of control measures, and how companies should prepare to respond to explosions. This course will benefit employees of various levels of experience, including grain facility safety managers, local and regional facility managers and superintendents, new employees, contractors and others.
GEAPS 540: Entry Level Safety - Spanish
This Spanish-language course expands on the safety issues presented in GEAPS 500. Lectures identify the main risks of working in the industry, discuss precautions and emphasize the need to learn and follow company and facility safety and health policies. This course is ideal for new grain industry workers, and also serves as an excellent safety refresher for more experienced employees.
GEAPS 500 and GEAPS 540 are two of six courses required to earn the Credential in Grain Operations Management (CGOM). The CGOM is the first formal credential in the grain industry, and can be augmented with Specialist Credentials in Grain Quality Management, Grain Handling Equipment Management and Property and Casualty Risk Management. GEAPS 521 and 544 both count toward Specialist Credentials. Anyone who completes the CGOM and all three specialist credentials earns the Master Credential in Grain Operations Management (MCGOM), the highest certification available in the industry.
Tuition for GEAPS/KSU continuing education courses is $670 for GEAPS members and $850 for non-members. For more information about the courses or to register, visit the GEAPS website, contact Katya Morrell at katya@geaps.com or call (763) 999-4300.
One course on grain processing, GEAPS 630: Quality Control, Quality Assurance Practices in Flour Milling, is also available in September. Learn more about the course on the GEAPS website.
