Industry experts share lessons and why proactive preparation trumps reactive response every time in an emergency situation.
The high-risk environment of grain handling and processing can create a perfect storm of life-threatening emergency situations that every company and employee should be aware of. The panel of industry safety experts at this year’s CONVEY Conference, held in Omaha, Nebraska, took it a step further.
The environment employees work in everyday can create life-threatening situations they should be prepared for.
Co-hosted by GEAPS, the NGFA, and Grain Journal, the conference featured a packed three-day agenda focused on safety, compliance, and operational improvements.
The standout session, “Emergency Preparedness and Response” on July 15 took a deep dive into practical, proactive approaches for managing high-stakes incidents in grain facilities. The first-hand accounts by the panel’s industry experts framed the necessity and the strategies the safety team can use to ensure employees are prepared.
The panel included three safety industry staples:
- John Lee, Director of Safety, Health and Environmental Services, Grain and Feed Association of Illinois
- Joe Mlynek, Subject Matter Expert and Co-Owner of Safety Made Simple and President of Progressive Safety Solutions
- Jared Roth, Senior Director of Safety and Compliance, Bartlett
Together, they laid out the scope of emergencies that can occur in grain facilities, backed by personal stories of dust explosions, fires, structural failures, entrapments, chemical releases, severe weather events, and workplace violence, the conversation and education was never dull.
“Emergency preparedness can’t be a checklist that sits on a shelf,” said Mlynek. “You have to look at what could happen at your location and think seriously about what equipment and services you’ll need in the critical hours that follow.”
Mlynek shared about a 2005 dust explosion that became a turning point in his career.
“It was a $36 million insurance claim. No one was killed, thankfully, but the response revealed a litany of errors,” he said.
His takeaway? Comprehensive emergency planning and effective response relationships are essential, not optional.
Adding to the conversation, Roth emphasized the value of building emergency response relationships early. “We invite the fire department out annually. Having that working relationship before an incident occurs makes all the difference,” he said.
For facilities that struggle to engage local emergency services, the panel encouraged the audience to offer their site(s) as training opportunities for local emergency response teams. The collaboration, they agreed, serves as a great vehicle to build rapport, relationships and create familiarity for the professionals responding to the emergency call.
Clarity and Communication Save Lives
One key area of improvement the panel discussed was ensuring clear and consistent messaging throughout a facility.
Roth noted that even simple changes, like signs indicating severe weather meeting points, can have a major impact.
“When we asked new team members where they’d go during severe weather, that was the most frequently missed question. After we posted signs and included it in training videos, it rarely gets missed now.”
The conversation also turned to ensuring contractors and visitors are informed.
“Documented emergency procedures for contractors aren’t just good practice—they’re a service to those workers,” Mlynek explained.
Planning Beyond the Obvious
When asked about overlooked yet critical resources, Mlynek recommended assembling an emergency resource list, a detailed inventory of specialized tools and services that may be needed after a major incident.
“You won’t think about needing infrared cameras, concrete cutting companies, or salvage crews…until you do,” he said. “It’s about being ready for the unexpected.”
More importantly, he reminded attendees that the industry often puts more effort into rescue training than prevention .
“As an industry, I wish we practiced safe entry into grain bins as much we practice rescuing people from them. Both are equally important.”
Joe Mlynek, Safety Made Simple
Worst-Case Planning
Mlynek’s final challenge struck a chord with attendees: plan for the worst-case scenario.
“Always assume you have victims. Assume it’s nighttime. Assume it’s the hottest or coldest day of the year, Assume you have no power and no water. The manager might be on vacation, and you may be dealing with this alone for several days. How will you respond?”
The Takeaways:
For safety professionals and facility managers, the message from the panel was clear:
- Review and revise emergency response plans regularly
- Foster relationships with local responders before an incident occurs
- Ensure signs, training, and communication are effective and up to date
- Include contractors and visitors in your safety protocols
- Prepare for long-duration, high-impact incidents, not just routine emergencies
In the grain industry, emergencies are not a matter of if, but when.
There is no substitute for preparedness!
