MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S. The Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) and Kansas State University (KSU) are offering online courses focusing on inspections, quality management systems, maintenance, safety and flour milling. The five courses will run from Oct. 29 through Dec. 3, and registration closes Oct. 23.

The GEAPS 522: FGIS Grain Inspection Orientation was developed by the U.S. Department of Agricultures Federal Grain Inspection Service in conjunction with GEAPS and KSU. It introduces the basics of grain inspections, provides a history of inspection and an overview of general techniques.

In the GEAPS 530: Quality Management Systems for Bulk Materials Handling Operations participants learn about quality management systems and how to use them in agricultural storage environments. This course provides strategies for integrating systems into normal business activities and teaches how to create food safety plans and develop quality management systems. After completing the course, participants should be able to do a basic quality analysis of facility operations and identify points where physical quality or economics are impacted.

The GEAPS 540: Entry Level Safety 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 a great resource for new grain industry workers, and serves a refresher for more experienced employees.

The GEAPS 554: Equipment Maintenance I course teaches safe function, monitoring, adjustments, maintenance and repair of equipment used in grain facility operations. Lectures cover the parts, components and troubleshooting of common elevator equipment. They also address maintenance methodology, dust suppression and collection, power drive transmissions, screw conveyors and bin sweeps.

The GEAPS: 630 Quality Control, Quality Assurance Practices in Flour Milling course focuses on the quality control and quality assurance principles of milling, including milling process quality, flour analysis, sampling and additives. Participants will learn methods to quantitatively analyze both flour quality and mill performance. The tools and techniques introduced in this course will enable better and more efficient communication between the milling operative and the quality control/quality assurance department.

GEAPS 530, 540 and 630 are all required for base credentials from GEAPS and KSU. Learn more about the credential program on the GEAPS website.

Courses cost $700 for GEAPS members and $965 for non-members. Courses can be completed any time over the five-week schedule, and each offering should take approximately 10 hours to complete. Companies can save up to 20% on blocks of registrations with the volume discount program. For more information about the courses or the GEAPS/KSU Distance Education Program, visit the GEAPS website.

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GEAPS, KSU to host online grain education sessions - World Grain