Coloured sand linked to asbestos contamination scare found at over 100 SA sites

Coloured sand products linked to an asbestos contamination scare have so far been identified at more than 100 sites in South Australia following checks at schools and preschools, the state's education department has confirmed.

The SA Department for Education said loose sand had been detected at "about 20 sites" and sand in containers at a further 88, and that it was helping to "manage the removal of it".

Earlier this week, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued a national recall notice for various coloured sand products after testing detected traces of asbestos.

More than a dozen schools in Canberra and one school in Brisbane were closed on Friday due to potential asbestos exposure.

In South Australia, the state's education department said no schools had been closed, but it had issued a hazard alert to "all schools, preschools and OSHC sites".

The alert advised "how to check for the product, what to do if they have it on site, and how to communicate with families".

"The department is helping to manage the removal of it in a safe and secure way through a licensed contractor."

The spokesperson said the department's approach was consistent with actions taken interstate, including in Victoria and New South Wales.

"The safety of students and staff remains the department's highest priority," the spokesperson said.

"The risk is low and is being managed in line with national standards and expert advice from SafeWork SA."

A Catholic Education South Australia spokesperson said they were also following national protocols and that any items being recalled "will be immediately removed from learning spaces and safely disposed of".

Agencies responding 'incredibly seriously'

The alarm was raised this week when the ACCC issued multiple recall notices related to several decorative sand products sold at dozens of retail outlets, including Officeworks and Woolworths.

"The products are being recalled because they may include asbestos, which is a prohibited substance in Australia," the ACCC said on its website.

SA government frontbencher Nick Champion said the education department and SafeWork SA were treating the matter "incredibly seriously".

"Of course they'll take all the product recalls from the ACCC and the like into account," he said.

"As I understand from the national reports, the risk is low, but any exposure is not good, and of course the education department and SafeWork SA will be working very hard to remove all of this product.

"If people have concerns, they should contact their local school."

SafeWork SA — the state's work safety watchdog — urged staff and families to "be on the lookout" for the affected products, which it said had been sold between 2020 and 2025.

"Consumer and Business Services' product safety regulators have been working with retailers to prevent sales in SA," it said.

In a safety alert on its website, SafeWork SA has urged anyone with the product to take steps, including:

"If the sand is loose, (ie not in its original packaging) remove people from the area and contact a licensed asbestos removalist to remove the sand.

"If the sand is still in its packaging, place the sand in a heavy-duty plastic bag, double tape it securely and isolate so it is not accessible to others before contacting a licensed asbestos removalist to remove the sand."

The ACCC said "respiratory asbestos" had not been detected "in any of the tested samples".

"The release of respiratory asbestos fibres from the sand is unlikely to occur in its current state, unless the sand is processed by mechanical means such as crushing or pulverising," it said.

"While the risk that any asbestos found is likely to be airborne or fine enough for inhalation is low, this may still pose a risk."