Meet The Team – With Workshop Supervisor Andy Turner

Andy Turner is a Workshop Supervisor based in our Widnes HQ Depot Workshop. He has been with Suttons for over 15 years and is responsible for the safe and efficient running of our Widnes workshop. We are proud of our internal workshops and Widnes offers high quality maintenance for our fleet. These include inspections and servicing as well as MOT and ADR preparations, ensuring confidence in a first-time pass rate. Intermediate and periodic vessel testing is also carried out in our workshop by our experienced team of technicians.

How long have you been at Suttons and can you describe your progression and journey at Suttons?

I have worked for Suttons for over 16 years and started by completing my apprenticeship to become a HGV Technician. I was then made into a Shift Team Leader many years ago and then into my current role of the Workshop Supervisor in 2016.

What does the typical day of a Workshop Supervisor look like?

I start my day by catching up with the Team Leader that is on shift and agreeing a plan of action for the day in regards to the workload and prioritising projects. I am responsible for 19 staff members and ensuring that all maintenance tasks are completed safely, efficiently and to a high standard. I generally end my day with another chat with the Team Leader to debrief and then plan out the work for our night shift.

How have you and your team adapted to social distancing in the workplace?

The current Coronavirus pandemic is taken very seriously by the team. We have implemented a number of changes such as, separated lunch breaks, sanitize stations in multiple places, one way systems at busy areas, wearing face coverings and carrying out regular temperature checks.

What challenges in the workshop have you and your team recently overcome?

As Suttons is continuously growing, and new contracts are regularly starting, so is our workshop’s workload. A recent contract win was a challenge for us as we had to ensure all new assets were inspected, repaired, and roadworthy over the course of one weekend in time for the implementation of the contract. This was successfully achieved thanks to our team and the hard work they put in to ensure a smooth transition.

What are the capabilities of the Widnes Workshop and how does that differentiate us in the marketplace?

Something that makes us stand out is the quality of our work, and the fact that our workshop is a one stop shop for all tanker maintenance repairs such as servicing, MOT’s and vessel testing.

 We have recently received earnt recognition status from the DVSA for our continuous approach to high standards of compliance, safety, and excellence in our Workshop. This was achieved in part due to our excellent record of 100% first time pass rate of all MOT’s conducted in the workshop since April 2020.

We also have highly skilled coded welders that regularly carry out major repairs and bespoke modifications to barrels and tanks at the request of our customers, such as relocating discharge pipes on barrels to fit specific positions to suit our customers needs. All modification work undergoes exceptional testing and reviewed by insurance inspectors to ensure safety and reliability.

Having all areas of maintenance available at one workshop is very beneficial and ensures our fleet always operates at the highest standards of quality, while also allowing us to respond to any customer requests.

What have you recently achieved or have been proud of in work?

Suttons supported me in completing a Level 5 in Operations/Departmental Management for which I got a distinction for my final result. This was 3 years of hard work and I was very proud to have received the result I did with the support of the business.

What are your interests outside of work?

I enjoy watching and playing football. I play for my local football team Halton Borough AFC and have recently been sponsored by Suttons for this season. I also really enjoy sitting on my couch with a glass of wine with my wife.