By Jenna Braasch
What began as an idea from agricultural industry groups to help ensure safety in the workplace has now become a nationwide movement. Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week takes place March 30 through April 6, and the 2026 Illinois kickoff event is on-site and livestreamed from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Feed Technology Center.
“Current research shows that every year approximately 20 to 40 farmers and workers get entrapped in grain, with about 50% of these cases ending up as fatalities,” says Salah Issa, assistant professor and Illinois Extension specialist, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. “In 2024, Illinois recorded six entrapments, and fortunately, none were fatal but required hospitalization.”
The 2026 Grain Safety Week Kickoff Event has in-person and virtual opportunities from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 30. The livestream will be a 10 a.m. to noon during the live safety demonstrations.
Issa shares that the Feed Technology Center is an ideal location for people doing similar grain management work to visit and experience what prioritizing workplace safety can do.
Source : illinois.edu