 Participants navigate a course full of challenging obstacles in their quest for the Grand Prize in the Columbia Forklift Challenge Rodeo. Photo: Mitchell Dyer Photography. Click for larger view |
The 33rd biennial Oregon Governor's Occupational Safety & Health Conference (GOSH) promoting safety in the workplace recently took place March 4-7 in Portland, Oregon. The Conference consisted of educational breakout sessions, special exhibits and the Columbia Forklift Challenge (CFC), an event where forklift drivers show off their skills and safety knowledge in a competition to win cash prizes and bragging rights. The CFC Rodeo is a newer part of the Conference, this was the 2nd year it has taken place.The CFC Rodeo is co-sponsored by Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). According to Oregon OSHA Safety Training Specialist and Rodeo coordinator Craig Hamelund, "Participation more than doubled this year over the first year, with 44 drivers from all over the state competing for the title and honor."
 Contestants aim for a strike in the exciting Forklift Bowling event at the GOSH Conference. Photo: Mitchell Dyer Photography. |
Contenders maneuvered forklifts through five different obstacles on their quest for the $500 Grand Prize. They had to successfully navigate the S-Curves, Racking Stack, Drum Slalom, Narrow-Aisle Pallet Drop and finish up with Forklift Bowling (always a crowd-pleaser). Measured on both time and violations, the winner was determined by whoever had the quickest time with the least penalties, resulting in the lowest score. The First Prize winner, Andy Ibbotson (Americold), took home $500 cash, Second Prize winner, Mike Morrison (Cascade Steel Rolling Mills), earned $300 and Third Prize, $200, was awarded to Cory Jenks (NAACO Materials Handling Group). There was also a $450 award donated by
Cascade Corporation for the team of three drivers who had the lowest overall combined scores. The Team Prize went to the Americold team: Andy Ibbotson, Neil Caylor and Randy Langwell.
Madalyn Piar-Katter,
Cascade Corporation Communications Manager says, "This is the second year Cascade has donated the Team Prize. We feel it's a great opportunity to show our commitment to workplace safety and to let drivers know that Cascade stands behind them in a mutual goal to minimize on-the-job injuries and product damage." This is evidenced by the Driver Training video Cascade produced. When asked about the video, Piar-Katter said "Though it is available for sale on our website, we've given away hundreds of copies of this video which teaches proper and safe lift truck driving habits."
All CFC Rodeo winners were invited back to compete in the Forklift Rodeo Finals at the 61st annual Washington GOSH Conference in Tacoma, September 26-27, 2013. For more information on the Washington Conference, visit
www.wagovconf.org/conference/.
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