Grainnet

GEAPS-Purdue to Offer Distance-Learning Courses on Grain Facility Safety and Ethanol Production

Registration is now open for the newest distance-learning course offered by GEAPS and Purdue and Kansas State universities.

“Safety Management for Grain & Processing Facilities” will be in session from June 2-July 5, 2008.

On the same dates, the GEAPS-Purdue partnership will re-offer “Fundamentals of Fuel Ethanol Production,” a distance-education course held previously in January.

In response to demand, the course is being repeated.

Lectures in the safety management course will cover:

• Overview of Safety Management

• Lockout & Tagout

• Walking and Working Surfaces

• Confined Spaces in the Grain Industry

• Emergency Action Plans/Emergency Response

• Fire and Explosions in Grain Facilities

• Contractor Safety

• Truck and Rail Safety

• Ag Chemical Safety

“This new course on Safety Management was developed by recognized GEAPS industry experts in response to requests by members to develop a series of courses on this most important topic,” said Dr. Dirk Maier of Purdue and Kansas State universities, director of the GEAPS-Purdue distance-education program.

“I have been very pleased with the effort put forth by our course development team – all GEAPS volunteer members – lending their expertise and sharing freely from their professional safety training libraries.

"I’m confident that our distance learning students will greatly appreciate and benefit from this new course, indeed the first in what I expect to be an extensive course series on safety for grain handling and processing industry professionals.”

Fundamentals of Fuel Ethanol Production” focuses on the fuel ethanol production, plant operations and management, and includes lectures on fuel ethanol production basics and emerging new technologies; plant operations and management; fuel ethanol storage and transport logistics; feedstock and co-product handling and logistics; mass and energy balance and environmental compliance; and economics.

No travel is required to participate in the courses.

All students need is a computer with a CD player and an Internet connection.

Students can study, engage in class discussions, or take quizzes when the time is right for them.

The course is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout the five-week period. Students who complete the course are eligible to receive one continuing education unit from Purdue.

Registration for both courses will be limited to 50 people.

The cost, which covers all CDs and full access to the course websites, is $500 for GEAPS members and $685 for non-members.

More information about the GEAPS-Purdue distance education program, including full course syllabi and a link to online registration, is available here.