Ryszard Janus has been crowned 'Operator of the Year'.

Wincanton employee Ryszard Janus has been crowned RTITB Operator of the Year 2013 at a gala dinner at the Telford Hotel & Golf Resort to celebrate the competition's grand final on 20 September.

The grand final was the culmination of a year-long search to find the best forklift operator in the UK and Ireland. This was the third time the competition has been held.

The competition kicked off in November 2012 with an online theory test that was open to about 300,000 RTITB-accredited forklift operators.

The top 40 entrants progressed to live heats held at the IMHX 2013 in March at the Birmingham NEC. During a week of competition, 40 qualifiers were whittled down to the 10 grand finalists who met to compete for the crown last Friday.

During a day of gruelling tests that challenged their theory and knowledge skills, along with their operational abilities, the finalists showed off their knowledge and skill, competing in difficult circumstances and under close scrutiny.

Attended by guests from across the warehousing and logistics industry, the contest celebrated the skills and dedication of the operators, their trainers and employers.

In her address at the gala dinner, Jane Willis, director of the HSE's Cross-cutting Interventions Directorate, stressed the importance of such events for highlighting the dangers of materials handling and the vital role of training. "Last year, 20 men didn't return home from work because they were killed in accidents involving workplace transport. This year, the figure currently stands at six. We owe it to the families of those men to improve standards and safety."

Laura Nelson, operations director at RTITB, said during the competition: "The tireless dedication of our accredited organisations and their commitment to safety standards are the reasons why this industry has such skilled operatives."

The competition sponsors were Toyota Material Handling UK, TNT Express Services UK and Ireland, and Calor Gas Ltd.