Urgent: paint and paint thinner fumes

Hi all. I'm 16 weeks pregnant and am having some serious concerns for my baby's health and development due to the renovation at work.


I'm a high school teacher and the school usually schedules renovation work for the summer when students and staff are off. However, they have started renovation early this year and have started painting (including the removal of old paint) about 1.5 weeks ago.


The painting is happening on the 4th floor, I work on the 5th floor (the highest floor) and my classroom door faces the emergency exit door. They are not keeping the emergency exit doors on the 4th floor closed despite my requests (they need to "air it out"). All the paint and paint thinner fumes travel up the stairwell into the 5th floor hallway and especially my classroom. On Monday, I felt dizzy, nauseous, and developed a terrible headache by lunch time so I had to leave early.


On Tuesday, I kept all my windows opened, all three AC units blasting and two ceiling fans on. It helped, despite not being environmentally friendly at all.


Then yesterday they started to paint the walls and ceiling in the staircase, making the odour much stronger. I couldn't open the windows because it rained most of the day. On top of the dizzines, nausea, and headahe, I was feeling very thirsty and had pain in my throat by the end of the day.


I am certain they are not using nursery-safe paint. I went to investigate the type of paint and thinner they are using. They are some Chinese brand and the ingredients are not listed on the pails.


I don't think inhaling the fumes for 8 hours a day is a good idea for anyone, especailly someone pregnant. However, next Thursday is the last day of classes (for students) and I feel obligated to go to work because they are working on their final assessment project (30% of their course grade) and need my help. Also, the school "ran out" of supply teacher budget in March so if a teacher is absent, other teachers have to cover his/ her class during their own prep period. This makes me feel bad.


In additon, I've used up my 10 sick days (Sept-June) due to 2 fevers earlier in the school year (we are required to stay home for 2 days after a fever) and during my first trimester (I am a textbook case of early pregnancy symptoms). I know the labour law says we're entitled to 2 days of sick leave per month, but according to our contracts, we only get 10 days from Sept 1 to June 30.


Are the fumes harmful to my baby? Is there any existing law that protects employees from potentially harmful substances at work? Can they dock my pay if I take time off/ leave early when I feel unwell? What would you do if you were in my situation? Thank you.

i suggest you leave school now, unpaid if necessary...nothing should take precedent over the health of your unborn child - not your student's test scores, not your colleagues' workload, not your school's staffing/budgetary concerns...if you're admin can't understand this, time to get a better job....can you arrange to meet your students in another area of the school to help them if you come in for a few days?