Health and Safety has finally caught up with historic North Quay as the Falmouth Harbour Commissioners install railings along the quayside, which apart from four very small sections has been unfenced for hundreds of years, reports David Barnicoat.

The finishing touches to more than 200 metres of railings are being finalised this week.

Falmouth Harbour Commissioners (FHC), the authority responsible for regulating and managing the safety in Falmouth Harbour, has invested more than £50,000 in the new work, which will further improve safety in the popular public area.

Mark Sansom, Harbour Master and chief executive of FHC, said: “North Quay is a public space and a popular vantage and gathering point for spectators during busy harbour-side events in Falmouth. It is no longer used for loading and unloading operations so through our on-going risk assessment programme we determined that an edge should be erected to help ensure the safety of the public.”

Any prudent seaman will observe that the railings are  installed so close to the quay edge it prevents large vessels from coming alongside at high water. If any vessel comes alongside at high water it will bend the railings and possibly crack off the granite quoins.

Mark Sansom added: “North Quay is the last of our quays to have safety railings. The quays are listed and we have liaised with Cornwall Council to ensure that the new railings are in-keeping with the area and comply with the listed building consent.”