the Brewers Association (BA) announced yesterday that the professional organization, for the second consecutive year, has received the award Susan Harwood Training Program Grant, a Competitive Grant through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to provide training and education resources. The $132,664 grant will be used to revise existing content and develop free trainings for draw line cleaning professionals and those who work alongside line cleaning.
“We are honored to receive these funds and put them to use in the service of an industry that values employee safety and creating quality craft beers for people across the country,” said Chuck Skypeck, Director of Technical Projects. brewing, Brewers Association. “The first step to creating a quality craft beer is to ensure that the maintenance and cleaning operations of the draft line are not only understood, but also effective. The Brewers Association will work with experts to develop and deliver training materials addressing the safety and health challenges associated with handling draft beer.
In addition to working with Brewers Association staff and experts, an advisory committee has been established to help guide programmatic efforts and continues to be essential in the development of training materials and strategic outreach. Committee members participating in the second year of the program include William Brazile (Colorado State University), Bridget Gauntner (Bell’s Brewery), BC Gilmore (Red Tap Draft Solutions), John Lane (Winking Lizard), Keith Lemcke (Contract Beer Education) , Nicholas Rosenberg (Blue Point), Stephanie Rusk (Colorado State University), Matt Stinchfield (OSHA/Safety Training), Jeffrey Walton (A Head for Profits), Darin Whitaker (Carolina Premium Beverage) and Neil Witte (TapStar).
“This grant comes at a critical time when small, independent breweries need valuable resources to train staff and optimize processes,” said Matt Stinchfield, Safety Ambassador, Brewers Association. “Winning this grant also underscores the BA’s commitment to safety for the industry as a whole.”
The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program funds grants to nonprofit organizations, including community and faith groups, employer associations, labor unions, labor-management associations, and colleges and universities.
2-week instructor-led trainings will be offered free of charge to Drawline Cleaning Operators from March 7-18, March 28-April 8, and April 11-12, 2022. Space will be limited and attendance may require prior experience or training. Opening of registrations on February 14 on BrewersAssociation.org. A short course will be offered upon request in the spring of 2022 for employees working alongside line cleaning operations, such as beer servers and front desk staff.
For more information and resources on draft beer, please visit the Draft Beer Resource Center on the Brewers Association website. To download a free PDF copy or purchase a hard copy of the Draft Beer Quality Handbook, visit here.
