URBANA, Ill. — 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.
The event will feature exciting, original demonstrations focusing on key issues in managing agricultural workplace safely and efficiently. Farm owners, elevator operators, and those who work around grain will learn about the dangers of dust explosions, machine guarding, how to spot bad ladders, and more.
“Safety demonstrations will help kick off Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week and are key to raising awareness and strengthening the actions to take home to hometown elevators and similar industry roles,” says Issa.
Event Agenda
- 9 to 10 a.m. – Tour of the ACES Feed Technology Center, 4495 South Race Street
Urbana, IL 61802 - 10 a.m. to noon – Kickoff Event and Safety Demonstrations
- Noon to 1 p.m. – Lunch and Networking Lunch provided by Champaign County Farm Bureau
- 1 to 2 p.m. – Live Line Electrical Safety Demonstration sponsored by Safe Electricity
Topics for the kickoff event and demonstrations include dust explosions, machine guarding, and ladder and electrical safety. The demonstrations from 10 to noon will be available online and in person.
There is no cost to attend. Registration is required by March 23 at go.illinois.edu/SafetyKickoff. Space is limited. For questions about the event, contact Salah Issa at salah01@illinois.edu.
If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in this program, contact Daniel Gaither at gaither3@illinois.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet access needs.
The 2026 kickoff event and livestream partners include: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Agricultural Safety & Health Program, Illinois Extension, Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week, Alliance (An OSHA Cooperative Program), Grain Elevator and Processing Society, National Grain and Feed Association, Grain Handling Safety Council, Safe Electricity, and Champaign County Farm Bureau.
About Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week
The national Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week, sponsored by Alliance – an OSHA cooperative program – and a collaboration of agricultural industry groups, provides a collective industry focus on and commitment to safety. We all have a piece in ensuring workers go home safely at the end of every workday. Look for daily online programs, including a few available in Spanish, during #StandUp4GrainSafety Week at standup4grainsafety.org to register.
Sources: Salah Issa, assistant professor and Extension specialist, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, and The Grainger College of Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week.
Writer: Jenna Braasch, media communications coordinator, Illinois Extension
Photo Caption: The Feed Technology Center at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Photo Credit: Feed Technology Center, College of ACES
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 500 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through five program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, health and community wellness, and natural resources, environment, and energy.