Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Before Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) visits, businesses and industry may want to make sure they’re up to code by contacting Sozo Safety Solutions.
Emanuel Matthews, founder and CEO of Sozo Safety Solutions, said, “I’m an OSHA authorized trainer. We teach general industry, as well as construction; first aid and AED; and we also are bilingual, which is English and Spanish.”
He explained he is authorized through OSHA to train OSHA standards “to make sure that organizations are compliant with OSHA regulations and rules and laws.”
His wife, Dara Matthews, said, “He’s somebody that you would want to call to come through your facility to make sure you’re up to code on everything before OSHA even has the chance to come in and cite you.”
“We do mock inspections, we teach Haz - we offer 24 hour and eight hour. We teach everything in safety,” Emanuel said.
The mission of Sozo Safety Solutions is “to empower businesses with practical strategies, expert guidance and innovative tools to ensure a culture of safety and regulatory compliance.”
Officially, the business started six months ago, but they had their ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday with the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce.
“He’s basically on-site training. So a lot of companies will call and he’ll come in - factories, all the way to schools,” said Dara.
Emanuel said they also teach CPR in schools and serve the whole Midwest, but are out of Warsaw.
To become an OSHA authorized trainer, he said he has over 20 years of field experience in general industry as well as construction.
“So, throughout the years, of me being in safety and being in the field, I’ve seen certain things which critiqued me to say, ‘You know what, I need to get more educated on this.’ So, I have various certifications in general industry, as well as construction,” he stated.
He continues to educate himself to be on top of his game.
“Even on our website, we have continual updates of where individuals can go and see where certain OSHA rules have been updated,” Emanuel said, and regulations to be implemented.
The website is at www.sozosafetysolution.com. His mobile phone number is 574-315-4755 and his email is sozosafetysolutions@gmail.com
Emanuel said they are also trying to get into the jails to help inmates get educated on the field so when they get out they can get jobs.
“I would love to be able to get into the schools to teach this, even to high schoolers as a trade. It would be awesome as well,” he said. “Because the field is not saturated, so what I’m saying is, when you’re teaching these individuals, it’s not hard to get a job in safety, and it’s a good job.”
If he teaches a person for 10 hours, they can become a safety supervisor. For 30 hours, they can become more like a safety manager, he said.
Dara said Emanuel went up to the jail in Ingham County, Mich., to teach inmates in there. She said he had a 100% graduation rate.
“These guys, they even came out and got jobs. It’s awesome. And because it’s not saturated, so that’s what I’m shooting at as well because those guys need help, too,” Emanuel said.
