U.S. Forklift Rodeo Season Opens In June

The 2016 U.S. Forklift Rodeo season opens on June 4th with the Washington State Eastern Regional Competition at the 19th Annual Washington State Governor’s Forklift Rodeo at the Spokane Central Service Center in Spokane, Washington.

The Washington State Safety & Health Advisory Board’s Material Handling Planning Committee organizes the event every year.

This year’s competition is said to be the biggest in North America and is expected to attract contestants from as far away as Hawaii and Canada.

The Washington State Western Regional Contest is scheduled for August 20 at the Boeing Kent Space Center in Kent, Washington.

The Washington State Championship is scheduled for September 28, 2016 at the Spokane Convention Center.

The Blue Mountain Forklift Round Up in Oregon has also been scheduled. It will occur on June 6 and 7 during the Blue Mountain Occupational Safety & Health Conference, a series of briefings and workshops spanning a range of safety topics. The Blue Mountain Conference Board, the Oregon OSHA and the Oregon SHARP Alliance have partnered to organize the event.

In 1994, the Ohio Division of Safety & Hygiene provided funding to establish a program of community oriented safety councils to enhance its outreach effort and to promote workplace safety. The program included the Forklift Rodeo & Safety Expo.

Originally a countywide event, it grew into a multi-county event to an Ohio and regional event. In 2006, the Ohio event organizers created the U.S. Open Forklift Rodeo, which is an international competition.

In 2008, the event drew the attention of Forkliftaction.com, an Internet site that covers every facet of the forklift trade.

In 2009, a regional forklift rodeo was held in Lisbon Portugal and the winning team attended the SCCSC 2009 U.S. Open Forklift Rodeo. In addition, the Chesapeake Region Safety Council in Baltimore, Maryland, organized a rodeo and its winning team also participated in the U.S. Open Forklift Rodeo.

The U.S. Open Forklift Rodeo includes:

· Individual and two-person team competitions.
· Winner is designated “Top Gun” and receives a trophy and cash prize.
· Two divisions in the individual category –- Master Operator and Championship. Top Championship division operators earn a Master Operator qualification, a cash prize, a jacket, and qualification to compete in the Master’s Division in future rodeos.
· Top teams win a trophy.
· A 25-question quiz. The questions are taken from a master question file and are meant to test he participants’ knowledge of forklift safety.

Individuals who come in first through eighth place in the Washington State regional contests win cash prizes. The breakdown is:

· First Place – $300
· Second Place – $200
· Third Place – $100
· Fourth Place – $50
· Fifth Place – $50
· Sixth Place – $50
· Seventh Place – $50
· Eighth Place – $50

Individuals who finish first through Fifth place in the Washington State Final Competition receive cash prizes. The breakdown is:

· First Place – $500
· Second Place – $400
· Third Place – $300
· Fourth Place – $200
· Fifth Place – $100

The first and second place teams win the following:

· First Place – $300
· Second Place – $150

Ron Cochran of Foss Maritime was the individual winner of the 2015 Washington State Championship. Jairus Knittle of Southern Wine & Spirits finished second and Kevin Jude of The Boeing Company came in third. Americold won the team competition and St. Michelle Winery & Estates finished second.