GEAPS provides a series of webinars throughout the year. Presented by industry experts, these interactive webinars are designed with grain industry professional in mind—about topics you care about.
We welcome you to join us for these webinars to learn, ask questions and connect with the presenter and others.
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Upcoming Webinars
Lessons from the Fire: A Firsthand Account of a Grain Dryer Fire at MAC
April 29, 2025
12 p.m. Central
In October 2009, a fire broke out in a grain dryer at Michigan Agricultural Commodities’ (MAC) Marlette facility. Fires in grain handling facilities can be devastating, and understanding how they start, spread, and are managed is crucial for preventing future incidents.
Join Chuck Kunisch, longtime safety and operations leader at MAC, as he shares firsthand insights from this event. Through real images and a detailed account of the incident, Chuck will walk participants through the challenges faced, lessons learned, and key takeaways for grain industry professionals. Attendees will gain valuable perspectives on risk mitigation, fire response planning, and best practices to improve safety protocols at their own facilities.
Disclaimer:
The information presented in this webinar is based on firsthand experience and observations following the October 2009 grain dryer fire at MAC’s Marlette facility. These insights do not represent official policies of MAC or the grain dryer manufacturer. We are not trained firefighters, and every grain dryer model has its own specific fire control procedures. It is critical to read your dryer’s operator manual, consult your grain dryer manufacturer, and work with your local fire department to develop a fire response plan tailored to your facility.
About the Speaker
Chuck Kunisch
Safety and Compliance Manager
Michigan Agricultural Commodities (MAC)
Chuck Kunisch is a highly respected safety and operations leader in the grain industry, with decades of experience in grain handling, facility management, and risk mitigation. As the Safety and Compliance Manager for Michigan Agricultural Commodities (MAC), Chuck has played a key role in shaping safety programs and operational best practices across MAC’s facilities.
In addition to his work at MAC, Chuck has been an active leader within GEAPS (Grain Elevator and Processing Society), serving on the GEAPS Board of Directors and contributing to key educational initiatives aimed at improving safety and efficiency in the grain industry.
NFPA 660: The New Standard on Combustible Dusts
May 21, 2025
12 p.m. Central
The long-anticipated NFPA 660: Standard for Combustible Dusts and Particulate Solids was published on December 6, 2024, and is now in effect for the Oilseeds Industry and all industries handling combustible dusts. This standard consolidates and replaces NFPA 61, which the Oilseeds Industry has followed since 1923, and NFPA 652, which introduced the requirement for Dust Hazard Analyses (DHAs) in 2015. The goal of NFPA 660 is to provide a single, comprehensive guideline for managing combustible dust hazards by:
- Enhancing safety through clear protocols for identifying, assessing, and managing dust hazards.
- Simplifying compliance by resolving inconsistencies and providing a unified reference for dust safety.
- Preventing explosions and fires through best practices for hazard control, including DHA requirements and strategies for explosion protection and ignition control.
- Establishing a consolidated standard for enforcement by Insurance Providers and local Fire Marshals.
This presentation will provide an overview of the development of NFPA 660 and examine its impact on the Oilseeds Industry.
About the Speaker
Matt Williamson, P.E.
Director of Engineering
ADF Engineering
Matt Williamson, P.E., is the Director of Engineering at ADF and has over 30 years of experience in process engineering and project management. He is a leading expert in dust mitigation and has conducted over 100 DHAs across a variety of industries. Matt is an internationally recognized authority on combustible dust and related regulations, having been published in multiple industry magazines and featured as a recurring guest on the Dust Safety Science Podcast. He earned a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky, is a licensed professional engineer, and is a member of the American Oil Chemists Society. As a leader at ADF Engineering, Matt guides a team of engineers on process development and improvement projects in the Food, Feed, Bioscience, and Consumer Product industries.
Previous Webinars
Previous GEAPS webinars are available for free to GEAPS members in our Video Library. Filter by “Past Webinars” to see the full list.