FRIEND OF NS

Industrial gas firm head honcho Trevor Toh supports National Service (NS) and has even found staff for the company during In-Camp Training (ICT) stints.

It is the last working day of 2016 and most firms are kicking back as employees take their year-end breaks. That was not the case at A&G Industrial Gas when PIONEER visited.

Located in eastern Singapore directly under the flight path of aircraft landing at Changi Airport, the hubbub at the firm matches the frequency of the jet liners flying overhead.

Every few minutes or so, a truck pulls up and empty gas tanks are offloaded. Other trucks leave, fully laden.

"The industrial gas sector is like the energy industry; the demand is always there so we're constantly busy," explained Mr Toh. He runs the firm, which distributes industrial gases such as nitrogen and helium, as well as medical-grade gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. Other activities include freight, pest control and even food & beverage.

National duty

The firm employs about 50 people, six of whom are Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen). Despite the hectic pace of operations, the firm makes it a point to release staff for NS call-ups.

"I don't ask them to defer their service; all of them will go (for their NS duties)," said Mr Toh.

The 38-year-old noted that it was good for his employees to return to their NS units and catch up with old buddies. In the process, they also pick up critical life skills such as first aid and learn to adopt healthier lifestyles.

"As a firm dealing in gases, there are safety regulations that require a certain number of my staff to be trained in basic first aid and firefighting," explained Mr Toh.

"It's also a national duty - not just for the individual. Companies also have a duty to make sure that their staff are able to report for NS training with peace of mind."

Over the years, the firm has garnered many Total Defence Awards for its commitment to NS and NS-friendly policies, such as time off after each ICT cycle for them to rest.

Buddy-buddy

Just as in the Army, A&G employs a buddy system where there are usually more than two staff members responsible for any given aspect of operations at the firm.

"It's okay even if they go for a long overseas ICT like Exercise Wallaby, which typically sees them gone for about three weeks," said Mr Toh.

"I think that should be the practice for all companies because it's not just for NS - the ladies might go on maternity leave! So we have to plan to make sure that the company's staffing needs are met."

The firm's male employees serve in a variety of NS vocations ranging from armour troopers to combat engineers and even aerial cargo riggers.

In fact, Mr Toh has even hired his own NS unit mate for the firm. "It was about three years ago that I approached him to handle sales for us", he said.

The firm also takes NS experience into account when hiring people. He added: "NS performance is quite accurate in giving us a rough gauge if this person is capable or not."

Air supply

Mr Toh served as an aerial cargo rigger during NS, packing parachutes for aerial cargo drops.

"It's quite a rare vocation. I think there were only about 20 of us trained to do this during my batch."

A Lance Corporal, he completed his NS two years ago and has since entered the Ministry of Defence Reserve.

As a rigger, he used to be called up for ICT quite frequently, about four times a year, for a few days each time. This is because riggers have to maintain a certain level of skill to make sure that the parachutes are packed properly.

Said Mr Toh: "I liked going for ICT, it was a good break from the business!"