A NEW code of conduct for council workers has been brought into force in response to the Glasgow bin lorry crash that killed three members of a Dumbarton family.

The changes will apply to all 6,000 employees and require them to report underlying health conditions that might affect their work or if they are arrested or charged with a criminal offence.

But concerns were raised at the corporate services committee meeting last week about whether West Dunbartonshire Council would go trawling for past charges for which staff were never convicted.

Recommendations were made after the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the 2014 bin lorry crash and the new code reminds staff they must report changing health conditions.

Jack and Lorraine Sweeney and their granddaughter Erin McQuade, all from Dumbarton, were killed by the crash and it emerged before the FAI that the driver had not disclosed his history of health problems to the DVLA or his employers at Glasgow City Council.

West Dunbartonshire's code of conduct was introduced in 2004 and updated in 2013. The revisions were discussed with trade unions in advance, said the council.

But Councillor Lawrence O'Neill expressed concern with how past charges, as opposed to convictions, would be included.

He said: "One may be charged with a whole host of things that never see the light of court. I assume we will not be going through past records?

"Anyone could be charged. Someone could be arrested for drunk driving. Until they get to court, they are still able to drive.

Vicki Rogers, head of people and transformation at the council, replied that the obligation was on employees. She used the example if a refuse collection driver was charged with drink driving, and if something happened after, the council would be liable.

She said: "We would not start any delving. There's no facility for us to go back and check and we are certainly not going to do that on an individual basis.

"As an employer, we have an obligation to consider the risk. If charged, we expect an employee to notify their line manager. This is about notification."

Councillor Kath Ryall, convener of corporate services, insisted there was "no presumption of guilt" but there was more than enough justification for a "need for notification".

Depute convener, Councillor Thomas Rainey, added after the meeting: “It is only sensible that the policy be updated regularly so that we have clear guidance for our staff.

"On a day-to-day basis they regularly go over and above what is expected of them at work, and the code of conduct is there to help them to carry out their duties well for the council and our residents.”

The code of conduct has also updated a section on debts owed by staff to the council, allowing the authority to make deductions from employee pay without their agreement once all other avenues have been exhausted.