Forklift rodeo organisers in Washington State have set the path for professional drivers to compete for recognition and prizes for the 13th year.

The materials handling panel of the governor's industrial safety and health advisory board and the state's department of labour and industries are presenting the forklift rodeo.

The final 2010 competition for eligible drivers will take place on 29 September in Spokane, Washington and include a written examination, pre-flight forklift inspection and a timed driving skills opportunity on an obstacle course. The first place winner in the finals will receive USD500.

The 2009 first place individual winner was Andrew Ibbotson, who works in Lynden, Washington at the VersaCold Cascade facility of warehouse and distribution services provider VersaCold, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The 2009 first place team winner was Boeing Company's contingent of Joe Henry, Doug Graham and Mike Weinman from a Washington plant of the aerospace firm. Boeing is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Regional qualifying competitions take place on 17 July in the regional readiness complex of the Spokane fire department and on 21 August in Boeing's Auburn facility. Another preliminary competition occurred on 19 June at the Volpentest HAMMER training and education centre in Richland. The top five individual competitors at each qualifying location are invited to participate in the finals. Each first place winner in the preliminaries receives USD300.

The finals will occur as part of the governor's 59th industrial safety and health conference in the Spokane Convention Center.

Elsewhere, 30 finalists in a company-organised forklift rodeo demonstrated skills in traditional forklift, mule and narrow-aisle reach truck events on 24 June in Mount Sterling, Illinois.

Dot Foods Inc utilises equipment from Raymond, Yale and Crown at its eight redistribution centres and moves more than 90,000 products from about 500 food industry manufacturers through market channels nationwide.

Meanwhile, preparations advance for the 16th annual US Open Forklift Rodeo & Safety Expo taking place from 29-30 October in Springfield, Ohio (Forkliftaction.com News #463). The Springfield/Clark County Safety Council and Forkliftaction.com sponsor the US Open.