A teachers union slammed education chiefs for doing “far too little, far too late” over a school.
Teachers have already voted for strike action at a school built on a landfill site after four members of staff were diagnosed with cancer.
Health concerns have been raised about Buchanan and St Ambrose High Schools in Coatbridge after incidents of coming from taps.
Now, the EIS union has claimed that the local council is being secretive and failing to share information about the site.
North Lanarkshire Council previously said that “experts confirmed there is no link between the school sites and the cases of cancer” but teachers and parents remain unconvinced.
An EIS spokesman said: “EIS members at St Ambrose and Buchanan High have raised significant and legitimate health and safety concerns, which the Institute has being pursuing on their behalf.
“In such a scenario, employers should act swiftly and positively by conducting tests to allay their fears and they should be open with the sharing of information and reports with health and safety representatives from trade unions.
“Unfortunately, in this instance, North Lanarkshire Council’s response has been poor – in fact the EIS would go as far as saying that it has done far too little, far too late; for example the EIS had to resort to making Freedom of Information requests to gain access to health and safety information and reports which should have been readily provided under the provisions of the Safety Representatives and Safety Committee Regulations of 1977. This only served to generate suspicion and mistrust.”
The EIS said it was pursuing legal action on behalf of some members and would consider this further today.
They added: “We have also engaged the services of an external expert company which specialises on reports on occupational hygiene and monitoring.
“We are very clear that North Lanarkshire Council remains liable for ensuring the safety, health and wellbeing of both pupils and staff in their buildings and for taking whatever steps are necessary to provide reassurance such as access to health monitoring.
“The EIS is willing to engage in constructive dialogue with North Lanarkshire Council as to how this reassurance can be provided but we would underline that the safety of pupils and staff is a top priority.”
The NASUWT union, which represents 12 teachers at Buchanan High School, have already said they will take seven days of strike action on June 20-21 and 24-28.
