Campbell Primary School is one of 16 schools closed in Canberra today. (ABC News: Monte Bovill)
Sixteen public schools in Canberra are closed today and several others are partially closed due to potential asbestos exposure.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission earlier issued a national recall notice for decorative coloured sand products after testing detected traces of asbestos.
Testing is underway at the ACT schools. On Sunday afternoon, a decision will be made about the schools resuming for Monday.
Sixteen public schools in Canberra are closed today and several others are partially closed due to potential asbestos exposure.
The risk relates to the use of a decorative coloured sand, which has been found this week to contain traces of chrysotile — a type of asbestos.
Earlier this week, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued a recall notice for Kadink Sand, Educational Colours Rainbow Sand and Creatistics Coloured Sand after laboratory testing detected asbestos.
ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry spoke to reporters this morning. See how it unfolded live.
Ms Berry said Kadink Decorative Sand was used in some Canberra schools for sensory play and arts and craft.
"WorkSafe ACT have advised the risk of exposure to traces of chrysotile is low, however the safety of students, staff and families is our highest priority,"Ms Berry said.
The ACCC issued a recall notice over colourful sand used in children's products. (Supplied: ACCC)
Ms Berry said the decision to shut schools was only made last night after a late meeting with the ACT Work Safety Commissioner and the Education Directorate.
"This is a low risk and I heard that firsthand from the WorkSafe Commissioner last night,"she said.
"However, it is a type of asbestos fibre or dust and so we need to take it seriously and remediate it appropriately."
She said, for public spaces such as schools, a licensed asbestos assessor was required to be brought in and determine whether or not the premises needed to be remediated.
Yvette Berry says closing schools was a "precautionary measure". (ABC News: Monte Bovill)
She said testing had already started on the affected sites.
"So far, the testing is not showing that there are any airborne fibres or any issues like that,"she said.
ACT Work Health and Safety Commissioner Jacqueline Agius said WorkSafe ACT had become aware of the potential asbestos risk late last week.
"That was an unverified test," she said.
"WorkSafe ACT seized some of the product from a premises in the ACT and had our own testing conducted.
"That testing came back on Wednesday. As soon as we were aware that the test showed a positive for chrysotile asbestos, we provided that information to the community."
Jacqueline Agius says "tests are happening all over the country at the moment". (ABC News: Monte Bovill)
Ms Agius said the Education Directorate was "acting out of an abundance of caution".
"Asbestos in sand is a naturally occurring substance because it comes from quartz and it's quite heavy so when asbestos is heavy then it's difficult to breath it in," she said.
"So that's why we say the risk is low."
Education Directorate deputy director-general Angela Spence said schools had been using the sand for sensory activities in a variety of settings.
"It can be used as part of manipulative play materials. It can also be used to provide sensory support for young people as part of their regulation,"she said.
"In terms of the location across a school setting, it can be used in trays, out on desks, it can be used in open-plan areas, in outside sensory areas as part of that particular support."
Angela Spence says it was a "significant" operational effort to suddenly close the schools. (ABC News: Monte Bovill)
Ms Spence said the decision to close schools was not taken lightly and required a "significant" operational effort.
"In order to isolate the site and maintain business can often be challenging in a school-based environment," she said.
"We know that this is a disruption to the community and so when we do need to make those decisions, it is based on the information through our risk assessments that inform that."
The closures affect the following schools:
Kindergarten students at Telopea Park School and Aranda Primary School have also been relocated to other areas within the schools.
Black Mountain School is one of the schools closed in Canberra today. (ABC News: Monte Bovill)
Ms Berry said parents would be advised of the closures via email and text messages.
She also pointed parents to the ACT's education website, which is constantly being updated on the issue.
Parents of students impacted by the school closures should find out by Sunday afternoon if their school will reopen on Monday.
"We will be formalising communication through each of our schools of the impacted sites on Sunday afternoon," Ms Spence said.
"Should we be in a position to release information earlier we will do that because we know that the impact on families is pretty significant."
In a statement, the ACT Catholic Education Office said it expected its schools and early learning centres would be open as usual on Monday.
"ACT Health has advised the risk from the contaminated sand remains very low," a spokeswoman said.
"We continue to monitor the situation closely and follow the advice of the ACT government. We are following this advice for both our ACT and NSW schools."
When asked why the ACT had closed so many schools compared to other jurisdictions, Ms Berry said it could be because the ACT's regulator was "on the ball".
Parents at Campbell Primary School were told to keep their children at home today. (ABC News: Monte Bovill)
"The information on WorkSafe equivalent sites across the country is very similar," she said.
"I think it was just that our WorkSafe Commission took the next step to do their own testing.
"We surveyed our schools to see how widespread it was and how much the sand was being used across our schools."
One school in Brisbane has been closed today, while a Queensland school has alerted parents of its use of the sand, though it remains open.
Look back at how ABC readers and other Australians responded to this live moment.
That's where we'll leave our live coverage today — thanks for joining us.
The ABC will continue to keep you updated on the school closures at abc.net.au/news
Our story below wraps up the current situation across the country and includes advice for parents who may have the product at home.