Business View Caribbean | March 2021

103 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN MARCH 2021 and steel plants, including methanol plants in Trinidad and Tobago. Some of our customers are global giants like BP and BHP Billiton, and we act as the sole supplier of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the country.” Asked whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted sales, Maharaj reports that while other countries, especially those hardest hit by the pandemic, have seen an uptick in oxygen demand, Trinidad’s situation has been different. “We have been fortunate that we haven’t had a significant outbreak of COVID-19 in the country, meaning we have not seen a large increase in demand for oxygen; we’ve seen the reverse,” he explains. “Demand has softened because protocols like mask wearing have reduced the overall number of respiratory disease cases outside of COVID-19, resulting in fewer people needing oxygen at the hospitals.” Safety is also a significant consideration for the company, and it relies on various certifications it holds to ensure its personnel and customers’ safety. “Product safety training is our most important component because of the nature of the products we handle,” shares Maharaj. “We also train our customers because of the products they purchase from us.” The company’s certifications include ISO 9001:2008, NFPA99 Medical Gas Delivery System Installers, and U.S. Department of Transportation Certified Facility, besides food facility certifications from the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards. Complementing safety, the company is also making strategic investments in technology, despite the industry’s manual nature. “Most customer requirements involve smaller batch quantities, necessitating manual handling of cylinders,” says Maharaj. “Nonetheless, we have an automatic filling system for oxygen operations to control quality and volume, as well as pressure from a safety perspective. We are also barcoding all of our assets, including cylinders, so we can actively track where they go MASSY GAS PRODUCTS ( TR INIDAD) L IMI TED