A golden opportunity to showcase the best lift truck operators in your business

The RTITB Lift Truck Operator of the Year competition was established in 2008 out of a desire to recognise and reward health and safety success in the lift truck operation field.

The bi-annual competition (sponsored by 3 of the most recognisable names in UK logistics; Toyota Material Handling UK, TNT Express Services UK and Ireland and Calor Gas) represents a key opportunity for employers and RTITB accredited training organisations to prove their commitment to safe, efficient, correctly trained lift truck operators.

Entry for the competition is now open and the benefits of encouraging a trainee or employee to enter could not be clearer.

Employing or training the National Lift Truck Operator of the Year (or even a finalist from the hundreds of thousands eligible) will uniquely identify your organisation as a successful, efficient and enviable operation to competitors and clients alike.

Employing and training correctly trained RTITB lift truck operators demonstrates a commitment to safety and encourages employees and trainees to be committed to safety in return.

Supporting correctly trained RTITB lift truck operators promotes a strong culture of safe lift truck operation, which over time will reduce lost work time through injuries and improve efficiency in your or your customer's warehouse operation.

In order to be eligible to enter, lift truck operators will need to be a currently registered counterbalance operator on the National Operators Registration Scheme (NORS), simply visit www.opofyear.com to complete the fun and safety themed multiple choice questions and hazard awareness based challenges. One lucky operator will even win an iPad mini simply for completing the online test.

(Entry closes at midnight on February 14th 2013).

The top scoring operators will be invited to attend heats at the UK's number one materials handling exhibition IMHX from 19th-22nd March 2013 and the top 2 operators from each day will then go to the Grand Final. The Grand Final consists of more challenges followed in the evening by a magnificent gala dinner to celebrate the day's events and crown the National Champion, who will also walk away with a brand new car. The competition is free to enter, free to attend, and we even contribute to travel costs. It really is about recognising great lift truck operators, their employers and their training organisations.

When announcing the Champion at the 2011 Grand Final, Jane Willis, HSE Director for cross-cutting interventions said: "There is only one way to do the job, the right way to do it, the safe way to do it, and you have made the best of the training available to you" To keep up to date with all the news from the competition visit www.opofyear.com