Built on Safety, Driven by Quality: A deep dive into how OTS Group embeds Health, Safety, Environment and Quality Assurance (HSEQ) into everything we do
Health, safety, and quality assurance are not isolated functions, they are embedded into the DNA of how we operate. From the controlled conditions of the factory to the ever-changing realities of remote client sites, safety and quality aren't just processes to follow; they are values to uphold.
This isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about protecting people, delivering excellence, and taking pride in how we work. Every tank we build, every system we service, and every site we step onto is governed by this mindset.
Our approach goes beyond compliance to foster a culture where every individual – from apprentices on the shop floor to engineers in the field – understands that safety and quality are shared responsibilities. It’s this culture that allows us to deliver reliable, resilient solutions for some of the UK’s most complex fuel storage systems.
Redefining Standards in Fuel Storage, Tank Servicing, and Site Work
At the heart of this approach is Mike Tyrer, OTS’s Health, Safety, and Quality (HSEQ) Manager. With a practical, people-first philosophy, Mike doesn’t just produce the method statements, he lives them. By listening to the teams, tailoring assessments to real-world conditions, and constantly adapting to new challenges, he ensures that safety is never static. It’s dynamic, evolving, and built around the way OTS truly works.
“We don’t just aim to meet the standard, we aim to redefine it.”
— Mike Tyrer, HSEQ Manager, OTS Group
This deep dive into Health, Safety and Quality at OTS Group explores how that philosophy is applied across the company, from the structure of our risk assessments to the welds in our factory, and why it’s key to delivering on our promise of safe, high-quality, dependable service.
Contents
The OTS Difference: From Factory to Field
Meet Mike: The Man Behind the Method Statements
Quality as a Culture, Not a Checkbox
Empowering Engineers: Training, Support and Safety in the Field
What Clients See: Assurance, Accountability, and Transparency
Our safety systems are designed in line with recognised industry frameworks and regulations, including DSEAR and ATEX for explosive atmospheres, the Energy Institute’s Blue Book guidance for fuel storage and handling, and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM). By adhering to these standards, OTS ensures every project is delivered safely, compliantly, and to best-practice industry benchmarks.
1. The OTS Difference: From Factory to Field
At OTS Group, no two jobs are the same, and neither are the environments we work in. The business operates across two distinct yet deeply interconnected worlds: the precision-driven manufacturing of fuel storage systems at our Moreton-in-Marsh facility, and the high-risk, variable environment of on-site servicing, installation, and decommissioning across the UK and beyond.
This duality presents a unique challenge for any health and safety strategy. In the factory, risks are fixed and repetitive: welding operations, heavy lifting, confined spaces, and machinery all require disciplined control and continuous vigilance. On site, however, engineers encounter dynamic hazards shaped by weather, terrain, client infrastructure, and even international regulations.
“You can’t apply a single blanket policy across both the yard and a remote decommissioning site,” explains Mike Tyrer, Health, Safety and Quality Manager at OTS. “Our safety culture has to flex without ever compromising standards.”
To meet this challenge, OTS has developed a tiered, adaptive approach to safety documentation and risk control. Method Statements and Risk Assessments (RAMS) are not copied and pasted, they are custom-built for every job, incorporating the unique risks of the location, the task, and the environment. From ladder checks and weather assessments to isolation protocols and dynamic risk flags, each RAMS document becomes a tailored roadmap to safe execution.
The factory and field teams are united by shared principles: ownership, communication, and continuous improvement, but the tools and processes they use are context-sensitive, designed to reflect the distinct nature of their work. For example, a team operating at height on a wind-swept marine dock requires vastly different preparations than a welding team fabricating a slab tank on the workshop floor.
This ability to adapt without lowering the bar is what sets OTS apart. Whether it's a turnkey tank installation at a logistics hub or a leachate tank decommissioning, the company’s safety infrastructure is built to protect, perform, and scale.
And as the business grows into new sectors and new geographies, this dual safety framework continues to evolve, providing the flexibility needed to face new risks, while upholding the unwavering standards clients have come to expect.
2. Meet Mike: The Man Behind the Method Statements
If health and safety at OTS Group has a face, it’s Mike Tyrer. As Health, Safety and Quality Manager, Mike is responsible for creating the systems and documentation that keep every employee safe, informed, and compliant, from engineers on the road to welders on the shop floor.
Mike is a strategist, a problem-solver, and a people-first communicator. His job is to take the unpredictable world of on-site installations, servicing and decommissioning and turn it into a clearly mapped process, one where every risk has been anticipated, every team member is prepared, and no one is left exposed.
“A method statement should feel like a checklist and a roadmap, not just a formality,” Mike explains. “If the guys aren’t confident in the plan, it’s my job to fix it.”
Firstly, every job is different. Each location brings its own set of hazards, from overhead power lines and confined spaces to high winds or unstable terrain for example. Mike works closely with the Projects Director and Service teams to understand the job in detail, often using maps, photos, and engineer feedback, so that each RAMS (Risk Assessment and Method Statement) document reflects the real-world risks.
The assessment starts before a van even leaves the yard and considers driving risks, weather conditions, and the safety of travel routes. Then come the site-specific variables: inductions, isolation procedures, lifting plans, tool inspections, PPE requirements, and more. Even the client is involved with each RAMS document shared in advance to ensure it integrates with site protocols.
Prior to joining OTS, Mike managed health and safety at a bottom ash recycling facility in Teesside, where heavy plant machinery and volatile materials left no room for error. It was here that his instinct for hazard anticipation and system development took shape. Since then, he’s earned respected accreditations including NEBOSH and IOSH and developed a calm, collaborative approach that his colleagues value.
He also manages OTS’s ISO 9001 quality system, ensuring that every process, from procurement to delivery, is traceable, auditable, and continuously improved. ISO 9001 certification requires a documented QMS, scheduled internal audits, external surveillance audits, and evidence of continual improvement. That means regular external audits, annual training refreshers, and meticulous documentation, all part of his daily responsibilities.
But at the heart of it all, Mike is driven by one thing: making sure people get home safe.
“I don’t go out on site, but I’m there in the planning. And if I’ve done my job right, everyone comes back the same way they left.”
3. Quality as a Culture, Not a Checkbox
At OTS Group, quality doesn’t begin and end with a final inspection, it is an ongoing discipline that runs through every process. For OTS, quality assurance and health & safety are two sides of the same coin. Both exist to ensure that the job is done right: safely, consistently, and to the highest standard.
Whether it’s a Multiserv tank leaving the factory or a service team completing a planned preventative maintenance visit, the same questions apply: What should doing it properly look like, and how do we ensure that every job is done properly?
To answer these questions, OTS integrates quality assurance into every phase of its operations. This includes:
In-factory process checks to ensure consistency across welds, assembly, and paintwork
Site audits and RAMS reviews to pre-empt issues during servicing and installation
Structured training for fabrication teams, service engineers, and project leads
Real-time feedback loops between HSEQ, engineering, and service departments
“Safe working produces better outcomes. Fewer reworks, fewer surprises, and a cleaner handover. Quality is built on doing it right, first time.”
— Chris Merchant, Project Manager, OTS Group
That commitment is formalised through OTS’s ISO 9001 accreditation. This certification requires a documented Quality Management System (QMS), scheduled internal audits, external surveillance audits, and demonstrable evidence of continual improvement, all of which are managed under Mike Tyrer’s oversight.
For our clients, many of whom operate in high-stakes industries like data centres, utilities, transport, and defence, this level of assurance matters. It means they can trust that every tank, pipe, and fitting meets the specification and that the team arriving on site has the training and technical competence to deliver without issue.
It also means that OTS is always learning. As part of the QMS, all non-conformances, whether minor or major, are logged, investigated, and acted upon. This feedback loop allows teams to adjust, retrain, or refine processes to prevent future issues. It’s not about blame, it’s about building better.
What makes OTS’s approach to quality distinctive is that it’s not just process-led, it’s people-led. Every employee understands the impact of their work, whether it’s fitting a gauge or filling in a handover report. Because when everyone buys into the standard, it shows. In the strength of the welds, the cleanliness of the site, and the confidence of the customer.
4. Empowering Engineers: Training, Support and Safety in the Field
When OTS engineers head out to client sites, they carry more than tools and fittings. They carry the trust of the company, the expectations of the client, and the responsibility to work safely and effectively in unfamiliar environments. That’s why OTS Group places such a strong emphasis on equipping its people, not just with kit, but with knowledge, confidence, and support.
Safety in the field is not guaranteed by a single system or checklist. It’s the result of ongoing investment in training, clear communication, and a working culture that empowers engineers to make safe decisions and speak up when something’s not right.
OTS runs a comprehensive training programme that covers everything from confined space awareness and working at height to hot works, manual handling, and environmental risk mitigation. Training also includes First Aid and Fire Marshal certification, ensuring every team has designated personnel ready to respond effectively in the event of an emergency. Every engineer undergoes annual refresher courses and stays certified for the varied demands of their work.
In addition to formal qualifications, the company also delivers:
Toolbox talks that prompt open discussion about site-specific challenges
Pre-job briefings that prepare engineers for the task ahead
Real-time updates and support when site conditions change
Refresher sessions triggered by new project types or client requirements
But technical preparation is only part of the picture. Mental wellbeing, fatigue awareness, and open communication are equally vital. Engineers are encouraged to raise concerns, challenge unsafe behaviours, and request additional support when needed, without fear of judgment or reprisal.
“Safety starts with the right conversations,” says Mike Tyrer. “We make time to talk to the lads, find out what’s going on, and adapt when we need to.”
And Mike’s involvement doesn’t end at the desk. He regularly liaises with project managers, engineers, and apprentices to ensure that risk assessments are understood, not just signed off. If a RAMS document doesn’t make sense on site, it’s rewritten. If a risk emerges mid-job, he’ll support a live update. It’s a collaborative, ongoing process, not a fixed instruction manual.
This hands-on approach helps engineers feel heard and supported. It also means that issues are identified earlier and lessons are shared across the wider team. And with the service side of the business continuing to grow, this feedback loop is becoming even more valuable, shaping how OTS manages its people, its procedures, and its priorities.
In the end, safety isn’t enforced at OTS, it’s embedded. Through training, dialogue, and shared accountability, the company is building a workforce that understands not just what to do, but why it matters.
5. What Clients See: Assurance, Accountability, and Transparency
In sectors where failure is not an option, data centres, logistics hubs, defence sites, fuel depots, clients choose partners who can deliver with discipline and precision. That’s exactly why OTS Group is trusted to supply, install, and maintain critical fuel infrastructure across the UK.
What clients see isn’t just the finished product. They see a team that arrives prepared, works cleanly, communicates clearly, and leaves the site better than they found it. And underpinning every project is a visible, traceable commitment to doing things the right way.
“They know we won’t cut corners. That’s why they trust us with critical infrastructure.”
— Steve Gain, Managing Director, OTS Group
This assurance starts with paperwork. Risk assessments, method statements, COSHH forms, and training logs are shared in advance giving clients full visibility of who will be attending the site, what they will be doing, and how risks are being mitigated.
On site, engineers conduct themselves with professionalism and consistency. From PPE compliance and signage to clean van presentation and handover documentation, every detail matters. These aren’t cosmetic niceties, they are signals of a deeper culture of care and compliance.
For clients in regulated or safety-critical sectors, this level of control and clarity is essential. Many sites require RAMS to be approved by third parties or integrated with their own safety systems and OTS is well-versed in adapting to these requirements, whether working on UK infrastructure projects or delivering installations abroad, such as recent projects in France.
And when unexpected challenges arise, as they inevitably do in complex fieldwork, clients see how OTS responds. Rapid communication. Document updates. Alternative access plans. Escalation if needed. The result is minimal disruption and maximum confidence.
These standards have helped OTS build long-term relationships with some of the UK’s largest fleet operators, public sector institutions, and logistics providers.
“Repeat business isn’t earned with low prices. It’s earned through trust, consistency, and results that speak for themselves.”
— Steve Gain, Managing Director, OTS Group
In short, when clients work with OTS, they aren’t just buying tanks or service visits. They’re buying assurance. And that assurance is built into every step of the project.
6. Looking Ahead: Continuous Improvement at OTS
At OTS Group, the commitment to health, safety and quality evolves with the business. Driven by a desire not just to meet the standard, but to raise it, we invest in technology and tooling and seek to embed a culture of feedback and development, taking a forward-facing approach to continuous improvement.
“The day we stop improving is the day we fall behind. Health and safety isn’t a box to tick, it’s how we get better with every single job.”
— Mike Tyrer, Health, Safety & Quality Manager, OTS Group
7. Safety as a Standard, Quality as a Promise
At OTS Group, health, safety, and quality are the foundational principles that shape how the business functions, grows, and serves its clients. These are not ideals left to posters on the wall or slogans in a handbook. They are embedded into every weld made, every site visited, every tank serviced, and every report submitted.
Because at OTS, safety isn’t an afterthought.
Quality isn’t a separate function.
And excellence isn’t an accident.
It’s how we work, every single day.
