Spreading Pono: Goodfellow Bros., Inc.

“The Viela’s shared from their hearts; really emphasized the negative effects of what one poor decision can do to a family; and how hard situations have a ripple effect. All Pono provided cool “Pono” helmet stickers, bumper stickers, and tons of encouragement.”

— Alan Ostermiller, Goodfellow Bros., Inc. - Maui

Earlier this Spring, Goodfellow Bros., Inc. (GBI) Maui Region conducted its 4th Annual Safety Summit; and raised the bar again by applying the theme from this year’s Engineers Conference: “Field First, Boots on the Ground”. For the first time, we pulled in the entire field team to participate in the Safety Summit. In the past, our safety summit participants included only Managers, Engineers, and Foremen.

We took time out to see where our Safety Program was in 2017; and took a good hard look at where we are heading for 2018—in terms of improving our safety culture. Then President, now Chief Executive Officer, Chad Goodfellow, shared about the GBI Vision; and that it is one thing to talk about safety, but another thing to do it. Maui Region Manager, Bo McKuin, talked about our future as a region; and of executing the GBI Vision.

Part of Safety Summit 2018 was a panel of speakers who were involved in hand injury accidents in 2017 and 2018. The entire field staff had the opportunity to learn from the panels’ mistakes, ask questions, and expound on critical hand injury learning points as to not repeat the same injury challenges in the years to come.

The GBI Maui team invested most of our time rotating between nine exciting, 15-20 minute, hands-on, training stations—which included subjects like loader operations/hand signals, rigging, confined space, HAZCOM, fall protection, heat injury prevention, small tools safety, safe trenching/excavation, and operating mobile equipment. All team members received the benefit of excellent safety training executed by nine subject matter expert teams—formed internally by some of our top foremen and engineers.

The highlight of Safety Summit 2018 was our key note speakers from the All Pono organization, Jon and Maile Viela. Their theme was “Do the right thing (a.k.a. “Be Pono”)…even when nobody is looking.” Jon and Maile shared the story about the death of their son, Jrew Kupono (“Pono Boy”), during an ATV quad accident—which changed the lives of so many; in their family; as well as the local community. The Viela’s shared from their hearts; really emphasized the negative effects of what one poor decision can do to a family; and how hard situations have a ripple effect. They “Spreaded Pono” by providing cool “Pono” helmet stickers, bumper stickers, and tons of encouragement.

Truly a good time of learning and reflection on safety by all!

Hooah Maka‘ala!

Alan Ostermiller
Goodfellow Bros., Inc - Maui