Martin Clark wrote: > BW has now responded to the criticisms by announcing a > package of measures to improve safety at Lock 86 and "design > out" the need for boaters to climb over the wall and use the > historic steps. > > The planned additional safety measures at Lock 86 are: > * the offside landing above the lock to be extended by adding > a new landing stage (possibly floating) * the existing > landing stage below the lock (under the bridge) to be > re-surfaced to improve safety * bespoke steps to be added to > the steep cobbled slope between the lock side and the lower > landing stage > > More about these improvements and photos of the locations, > along with questions arising from the plans can be found on this page: > http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/canalstreet2.htm > > Of course, the proposals do nothing to placate those who just > don't want the heritage of the street ruined by the fence...
I hesitate to play the elfin safety card, but has BW carried out a risk assessment in relation to creating a place to which there is no access other than by boat, and where a person could be trapped - whether a crew member who has literally missed the boat, or a drunken reveller who has managed to scale the new fence, or for that matter the emergency services who are called to deal with the latter? David Mack
