The majority of the staff at the National Sports Council (NSC) are currently off the job.
More than a dozen staffers left their desks earlier this morning, after an industrial cleaning of the My Lord’s Hill, St Michael, facility went wrong.
Bed bugs had been discovered in the building a month ago, and an industrial cleaning was completed over the weekend.
But staff cleared out earlier today because chairs were still damp, and a strong chemical odour was emanating from the building. 
Deputy General Secretary of the Barbados Workers Union (BWU) Dwaine Paul is still on the scene having discussions with staff, but declared his discontent.
“This is an untenable situation. Staff should not have been exposed to this after the cleaning was done,” he told the Nation News.
A health inspector from the Ministry of Health also arrived to conduct investigations, as staff milled around the facility.
Children attending the NSC’s annual Summer Camp also remained on the compound, as NSC boss Neil Murrell met with officials on the issue.
Paul is waiting on the NSC to make a decision, but said the workers on the outside would not return to work until a solution had been reached. (BA)
