Safety Isn’t a System, It’s a Mindset: How Suttons’ Technical Team Embody Personal Responsibility
By Neil Babbs, Global Technical Services Director at Suttons International
At Suttons International, safety and technical assurance are core to everything we do. Global Technical Services Director Neil Babbs shares his perspective on how our culture of Personal Responsibility underpins the safety, reliability, and quality of our global fleet, and how empowering our engineers and workshop teams ensures every tank meets the highest standards.
At Suttons International, fleet safety and compliance are more than a box-ticking exercise — they’re a mindset defined by our core value of Personal Responsibility and lived by every member of our technical teams.
Our culture of Personal Responsibility is intrinsic to the way our technical teams operate across the business. Ownership and accountability aren’t just the expectation; they’re part of who we are and are nurtured within the team from day one. In our business, Personal Responsibility builds trust within the Technical team, solidifies the trust between the team and the wider business, and gives our customers and suppliers confidence in our operation. For the Technical Team, Personal Responsibility is the confidence that we’ll always do the right thing, even when no one’s watching. Every tank that leaves the depot reflects the pride, care, and professionalism of a team committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and technical assurance.
For me, personal responsibility sits at the heart of technical assurance and fleet safety. Every process, inspection, and decision rely on individuals taking ownership of their work. As leaders, we can build systems and set standards, but it’s the personal accountability of our people that turns those systems into real assurance. When a technician signs off a tank, they’re not just completing a task; they’re making a commitment to safety, quality, and the reputation of our fleet. The mindset of each individual doing the right thing every time ensures every tank that leaves the depot is safe, compliant, and ready to perform.
Ensuring every tank meets Suttons’ technical assurance standards is a collective effort that starts long before the final inspection. Each stage of the process, from initial assessment to sign-off, is completed with care, precision, and a clear understanding of Suttons’ high standards. While systems and processes such as peer verification and open communication underpin operations, it’s personal pride in our operation and the Suttons business that truly makes the difference. Our people know that every tank represents Suttons’ reputation for safety, reliability, and technical excellence. That shared responsibility ensures every asset leaving our depot is fully compliant, fit for purpose, and ready to deliver safely around the world.
Across the workshops and washbay, we employ 32 highly skilled technicians and operatives, supported by robust training and auditing systems. Our teams complete around 28 accredited training courses, refreshed every three years, covering everything from confined space entry and working at height to IMDG awareness and IOSH safety management. We currently have 97 standard operating procedures (SOPs), 123 risk assessments, and 66 CoSHH assessments, all subject to regular review and continuous improvement. Every month, the depot team holds toolbox talks focused on relevant safety topics, ensuring knowledge is constantly refreshed and shared.
Our commitment to technical assurance is also reinforced through regular, data-driven auditing. Using the i-Auditor digital platform, we conduct at least three audits per week covering housekeeping, safety management, and behavioural safety assessments, with results shared at depot and board level. We also use the platform to monitor tank stack conditions, pre-use checks, and telematics data from our handling vehicles, giving us live oversight of operational performance.
Between the workshop and washbay, we manage over 340 items of equipment, each subject to six-monthly or annual inspections by third-party partners and our insurer, along with strict control of 78 registered tools, 12 pre-use check sheets, and 16 work equipment risk assessments. This rigorous framework, combined with personal ownership, ensures our team operates to the highest standards every day.
Our workshop holds ISO 14001 accreditation through to 2026 which underpin our environmental and quality standards. In addition, we’re proud to undergo several external customer audits each year, which consistently achieve strong results with minimal or no improvements required. These audits validate the professionalism and diligence of our depot team and demonstrate the confidence our customers have in our operation.
Personal Responsibility also extends beyond our own sites. Our team members regularly travel to third-party depots around the world to provide specialist training on HF tank testing, and in return, we host training sessions for international colleagues at our site. This exchange of technical expertise strengthens global consistency and reinforces Suttons’ role as a trusted leader in specialist tank maintenance and safety.
Our culture of Personal Responsibility and ownership starts with knowledge, structure, and trust. Within recent years, I reintroduced Suttons’ recognised apprenticeship scheme, which has proven very successful. One of our early apprentices is now a Technical Manager, and we’ve recently welcomed our first female apprentice, something we are incredibly proud of. Apprentices receive Mechanical Engineering training through a local college, progressing through HNC and HND qualifications, alongside mentoring from our experienced technicians.
In addition to developing new talent, we have a strong culture of internal progression. Many of our supervisors have been promoted from within, having started their careers on the workshop floor; they bring deep technical knowledge and a genuine sense of pride in what they do. By nurturing our team from the earliest stages of their career through our apprentice programme, we ensure our values are instilled within the team at all levels, and our commitment to hiring from within keeps our culture strong and consistent.
This culture is absolutely crucial to the success of the team. In a high-risk environment such as chemical logistics, it is essential that our team operates safely. Our workshop handles a wide and complex range of work, from refrigerant gas and high-end medical propellant tanks to AHF tanks and chlorine drums, as well as a full range of ISO tank maintenance and fabrication. The experience of our technicians means we can confidently manage high-risk, technically demanding assets while maintaining the highest standards of safety and compliance.
Our depot maintenance capability underpins the service offering for our largest customer. The team ensures that every tank leaving our care reflects Suttons’ reputation for quality, reliability, and safety. It is this combination of skill, pride, and culture that truly sets our workshop apart.
I believe that every safe outcome starts with individual actions and decisions. Policies and systems are important, but they only work when people genuinely care about doing the right thing. Every inspection, repair, and sign-off relies on someone taking ownership; understanding that what they do directly affects the safety of our colleagues, our customers, and everyone who shares the road with us.
At Suttons, that sense of responsibility is part of our DNA. It’s the reason our fleet maintains such a strong safety record and why our customers trust us with their most critical products. Personally, I see it as a reflection of our culture, one built on trust, pride, and professionalism. Safety doesn’t happen by chance; it happens because our people take Personal Responsibility, every single day.
