Renfrewshire Council is to develop an action plan to address the key findings of the fatal accident inquiry into the Glasgow bin lorry crash.

The council want to implement new safeguards based on the FAI’s recommendations as part of their on going commitment to improving safety.

A package of measures will be put in place including increased health checks on prospective drivers, risk assessment of routes used by heavy goods vehicles and pro actively monitoring technological advances in vehicle safety.

A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: “We have studied the FAI’s findings in detail and brought forward an approach which focuses on the main issues and recommendations.

“There are new approaches and improvements which can be introduced over the next few months and others which will be taken further as vehicle safety technology advances –including phasing in new vehicles with enhanced safety features as the safety technology develops for heavy vehicles as it has recently for cars.”

Factors such as waste collection times in crowded areas and the recruitment process of drivers will be reviewed and the provision of health and safety training will be improved.

“Overall, we have taken a wide-ranging approach which we would stress will be part of a continuing programme to improve safety and minimise risk.

“Many of the measures build on our existing approach to vehicle and driver safety but we want to move forward with as comprehensive an approach as possible.”

The FAI concluded that the primary means of increasing safety was to ensure that drivers were prevented from being incapacitated at the wheel.

Renfrewshire Council already requires new drivers to provide references but now additional questions on an applicant’s fitness to drive will be added to a pre-employment questionnaire.

Then, further to a face-to-face medical, further health checks will be made with the applicant’s GP.

Annual medical inspections will also be carried out to ensure drivers remain fit to carry out their duties without posing a risk to the public.

As part of increased safety training, awareness raising sessions will be carried out to ensure all waste collection employees are familiar with steering and braking systems in vehicles.

There will be further analysis and evaluation of refuse collection routes to avoid pedestrian and congestion risks around particular premises such as schools during peak time.

An emphasis will also be placed on the monitoring of technological advancements which could further improve safety

A council spokesperson added: “Regarding heavy vehicles, it isn't always technically possible, or the most appropriate safety option, to ‘retro-fit’ new equipment or systems to existing vehicles.

“Along with other Scottish councils, Renfrewshire has been working for some time directly with manufacturers of heavy vehicles, including Volvo.

“Their engineers and scientists are looking to develop and improve technical systems, such as the automatic braking systems increasingly available in cars.

“Renfrewshire Council is not only committed to taking advantage of new technology as it develops and comes to the market over coming years, but also to support the industry in getting new designs right.

“When driving vehicles – whether that is a car or a heavy vehicle weighing several tonnes – there is never a way of eliminating risk altogether.”