MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, US — The Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) and Kansas State University are hosting online courses focusing on facility planning, quality control, safety and maintenance. The courses run May 16 – June 16 and registration closes May 6.

The GEAPS 511: Grain Facilities Planning and Design II course provides a practical, real-world foundation for those responsible for helping plan and design grain facilities. Lectures cover site selection, rail planning, safety, security, roofing, storage and other considerations. Some lectures revisit topics from GEAPS 510: Facilities Planning and Design I in more depth.

The GEAPS 520: Grain Quality Management course is a resource for anyone responsible for grain quality, including those who work with storing and conditioning, aerating, drying, pest control or mycotoxin management. Participants learn about quality control, measurement methods and international grain-grading standards.

In the GEAPS 544: Preventing and Responding to Grain Dust Explosions course, participants will learn the most effective way to prevent grain dust explosions is to understand in detail what causes them and then take sustained action to factor down the risks. Lectures cover regulations, preventative measures and how to respond.

The GEAPS 554: Grain Elevator Equipment Maintenance course will teach preventive maintenance techniques, where to look for problems and how to safely fix equipment used in everyday grain facilities operations. The course covers methodology and different types of equipment.

The GEAPS 610: Interpretation of Process Flow Diagrams course focuses on interpretation, use and creation of process-flow diagrams, especially in grain handling and processing facilities. It will discuss the purposes, benefits and limitations of flow diagrams, and investigate how diagrams depict processes in facilities devoted to grain-handling, feed processing, grain dry milling and wet-process separation. At the end of the course, students will be required to develop a relatively simple flow chart.

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 courses are available on the GEAPS/K-State Distance Education Program website.

GEAPS and KSU are offering a packaged price on their joint credential program. Anyone who purchases five of the six courses required for the credential in Grain Operations Management receives the final course for free. Courses are a part of the GEAPS/K-State Distance Education Program.