Industry Partners Build Safer Communities Together

What began as a donation of a grain rescue tube in support of "Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week" from Custom Concrete Specialists to ENREEC (Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension, and Education Center), near Mead, NE has grown into a unique collaboration of industry businesses and organizations working together to build safer communities across the Midwest.

Custom Concrete Specialists (CCS), the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH), Central Valley Ag (CVA), the Grain Handling Safety Council (GHSC), and Safety Made Simple are combining their resources, talents, and passion for safety to provide grain safety training to communities across the Midwest.

“I recognized the positive impact we could make on communities, if they were given the tools, resources, and education to understand how to prevent grain entrapments and how to respond if one occurred,” states Cheyenne Wohlford, CEO and President of Custom Concrete Specialists (CCS). The first training session was held August 16th at ENREEC.

Participants at the ENREEC training event were treated to dinner by CS-CASH. Trainers from GHSC and Safety Made Simple discussed the causes of entrapment, prevention strategies, and first response to an entrapment.

CVA donated its grain entrapment training trailer for hands-on demonstrations and first responder practice with a grain rescue tube supplied by CCS. The session was attended by volunteers from five rescue squads and almost 50% of the audience were from area farms and ranches.

Reflecting on the evening’s training session, CS-CASH Outreach Coordinator Ellen Duysen, said, “The ENREEC audience represented the diversity of the industry who work with grain. This partnership allowed us to offer free training they would likely not otherwise receive which helps the entire community.”

CCS has donated grain tubes to 11 additional locations and similar training events are being planned for Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, southern Nebraska, and Ohio. When asked how this partnership formed, Sam Germer of Safety Made Simple explains, “It’s simple. All those involved share a strong passion and commitment to safety and we have a great deal of respect for each other’s work. When Cheyenne proposed this idea, it was effortless to get everyone on board. We are excited about continuing our efforts toward building safer communities.”

“When organizations partner together, it sends a consistent message about safety and the use of best practices. The message is amplified when we bring communities together,” states Catherine Rylatt, MPA, GHSC’s co-founder and Board of Directors’ Vice-President. “Everyone benefits when the goal is to ensure loved ones return home safely after work.” For information about this partnership and future training email info@grainsafety.org.

About the donors:

CS-CASH is a NIOSH funded Agricultural Safety and Center with a focus on the educational needs of farmers, their family members, and workers.

Custom Concrete Specialists (CCS) Group is a leading global expert for the safety and longevity of concrete structures with a devotion to elevating health and safety practices.

Central Valley Ag (CVA) is a farmer-owned cooperative committed to the health and safety of employees and patrons believing an ALL-IN approach will achieve zero workplace incidents.

The Grain Handling Safety Council (GHSC) is a not-for profit dedicated to reducing injuries and fatalities across the grain industry spectrum through education, training, and awareness.

Safety Made Simple offers online courses in general industry, construction, grain handling, commercial farming, livestock, agronomy, food safety, and human resource development.