Presented by: 

Grain Journal

Presented by: 

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Grain Journal
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Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS), the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA), and the GEAPS Media Group (GMG) are
pleased to announce the CONVEY‘25 conference will be held again this year in Omaha, Nebraska, on July 14-16, 2025. CONVEY‘25 is a unique opportunity for grain handling and processing employees and leaders to gain practical knowledge and training on real-world compliance issues, best practices and emerging industry trends.

 New this year, the conference opens with an OSHA Grain Handling Workshop. This session will provide an overview of how to work safely and comply with the agency’s industry-specific regulations that focus on housekeeping, bin-entry and preventive maintenance.

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PROGRAM

Monday, July 14
Photo
12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Exhibitor Set-up
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Workshop: Overview of OSHA Grain Handling Standard, 29CFR 1910.272
OSHA regulates grain facilities with an industry-specific rule called the Grain Handling Standard. The standard is found in 29 CFR 1910.272 and focuses on requirements for controlling grain fires, grain dust explosions and hazards associated with entry into bins, silos and tanks. This session will provide an overview of how to both work safely and comply with the regulations.

Speakers:
John Lee, Safety, Health and Environmental Services Director, Grain and Feed Association of Illinois
Jared Roth, Senior Director of Safety and Compliance, Bartlett

John Lee and Jared Roth
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Opening Reception in trade show area
Tuesday, July 15
7:00 a.m. Breakfast in trade show area
8:00 a.m.Welcome and Introductions
8:05 a.m.

Importance of Safety and the Impact within Operations

 

Speaker:

Rayner Freyberg, Executive Director for the United States and Mexico, Viterra

Rayner Freyberg
9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.Break in trade show area
9:30 a.m. Dust Mitigation Best Management Practices
Dust mitigation at a grain elevator is a critical component of operations to ensure safety, prevent explosions, and maintain environmental compliance. This includes facility design, hazard assessments and emergency response.

Speakers: TBD
10:30 a.m.

Grain Elevator Design
This session will offer strategies to prevent explosions, comply with regulations, and maintain air quality at key dust generation points including: receiving pits, conveyors and bucket elevators.


Speakers: TBD
11:30 a.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m.

Safety Culture and Employee Engagement
The session will focus on how the shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors related to safety within an organization impacts employee engagement and the level of enthusiasm and commitment employees have in both their work and organization.

Speakers: 

Scott Biel, Director of Safety, MKC
Erin Miles, Co-Founder, People Spark Consulting

Scott Biel and Erin Mies
2:30 p.m.

Emergency Preparedness and Response
Emergency response at a grain handling facility requires a well-coordinated plan to address the unique risks associated with these operations. This includes prevention and preparedness, emergency response steps and post-emergency actions such as root cause analysis and enhancing safety measures.


Speakers:
John Lee, Safety, Health and Environmental Services Director, Grain and Feed Association of Illinois
Joe Mlynek, President, Progressive Safety Solutions
Jared Roth, Senior Director of Safety and Compliance, Bartlett

 

John Lee, Joe Mylnek and Jared Roth
3:30 p.m.Break in trade show area
4:00 p.m.Return on Investment - Automation in Safety
Safety, technology, and maintenance are critical aspects of the grain industry,
and advancements in these areas play a significant role in enhancing efficiency, reducing risks, and ensuring smooth operations. This includes hazard monitoring technology for grain storage, drones and site analysis and automated transportation.

Speakers: 
Matt Surdick, Senior Director EHS, CHS
John Craven, Regional Safety Director, Viterra
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Reception in trade show area
Wednesday, July 16
Wednesday, July 16
7:00 a.m.Breakfast in trade show area
8:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
8:05 a.m. Safety Culture: Lessons Learned
A look back at cultural leadership by a retired General Manager in the grain and feed industry, this session will provide insight into improving your company's safety culture by examining the impact and changes due to both significant accomplishments and tragic losses.

Speakers: 
John McClelland, former General Manager, Garden City Co-op
9:00 a.m.

Human Organizational Performance 

This session will focus on how and why employees make mistakes or errors and how they were dealt with either from an organizational or individual perspective.

Speakers: 
Ruben Chong, EHS Specialist, Cargill
Andrea Koch, Director Health and Safety, Bunge North America
Brian Wanzenried, VP EHS US/Mexico, Viterra
10:00 a.m. Break in trade show area
10:30 a.m.

Shuttle Loading and Rail Safety
This session will address how to mitigate hazards in the rail yard that could potentially cause harm to personnel, equipment, or commodity.

 

Speaker:
David O'Hara, General Director of Operating Practices, Union Pacific

David O'Hara
11:45 a.m.Adjourn
12:30 p.m.NGFA Safety, Health and Environment Committee Meeting