Time and tide wait for no one…

Time doesn’t wait for us, it continues with no regard for our concerns: it’s been nearly a year since our first lockdown, Brexit has continued advancing and is now upon us and here at IBS, we simply can’t wait around or put things on hold.

Because tides: well, tides clearly don’t wait for anyone or anything. And neither do rivers, floods, waterways, storms, or abnormal rainfall. Controlling water flow on an ongoing basis, or as a result of – or to prevent – a flood, needs to happen all the time.

Brexit has led to inevitable customs delays, as much of our equipment is imported from Germany. Although to be perfectly honest, we weren’t exempt from the occasional delay before, so we know how to deal with that! And we’re pleased to say that due to our planning and foresight, Brexit will not delay our work or contracts, and we will remain – as ever – on time.

COVID-19 could have led to some serious difficulties, but we are proud to say that the Flow Control and Flood Protection Industry has pulled together, and all stakeholders have worked cohesively under these trying circumstances and been supportive of each other wherever possible. This has ensured continuity of our critical work during the crisis, with clients and contractors alike showing flexibility with regard to lead times, scheduling, completions etc.

Additionally, all contractors, suppliers and businesses involved have been (and still are) working to the highest possible standards of health and safety, with extremely robust social distancing and Health & Hygiene procedures when on-site work is necessary.

And bizarrely we – along with many other businesses – we have seen some benefits to the new ways of working during the pandemic. One key positive has been the environmental pluses of holding meetings remotely, rather than travelling to sites for a discussion. Online platforms and shared video can reduce our carbon footprints and time wasted on long distance journeys. This could be beneficial to the planet – and our own schedules – even when we can revert to non-COVID-prescribed ways of working.

So, despite the local, national, and international challenges, life, work, and nature continue. And that’s what we do – come rain, shine, COVID-19, Brexit, tides, floods, and the inexorable passage of time: IBS still, always, and even now, protect your home, business, and community.