More coloured sand recalls prompt ACT to close 70 schools over asbestos concerns
The recall includes the 14-piece Sand Castle Building Set and green, pink and blue Magic Sand sold at Kmart and Target. (Supplied: MBIE)
In short:
More decorative coloured sand has been recalled over concerns about asbestos contamination.
Kmart and Target have now issued a new product safety recall for four additional products — 14-piece Sand Castle Building Set, as well as blue, green and pink Magic Sand.
What's next?
There will be 70 Canberra schools closed on Monday due to contamination concerns.
More coloured sand products have been recalled due to asbestos contamination concerns, as the ACT's education department is set to announce whether schools closed on Friday will reopen tomorrow.
Earlier this week, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued a national recall notice for several coloured sand products after laboratory testing detected traces of chrysotile asbestos — a type of naturally occurring asbestos.
Kmart and Target have now issued a product safety recall for four additional products:
- 14-piece Sand Castle Building Set (Batch no: 42975724)
- Pink Magic Sand (Batch no: 42304371)
- Blue Magic Sand (Batch no: 42304364)
- Green Magic Sand (Batch no: 432919650)
"The product may cause a risk to health as asbestos has been detected in some samples after laboratory testing," the recall stated.
"Importantly, respirable asbestos has not been detected in any of the tested samples. The release of respirable asbestos fibres is unlikely to occur in its current state, unless the sand is processed by mechanical means such as crushing or pulverising.
"The risk that any asbestos found that is likely to be airborne or fine enough for inhalation, is low."
70 ACT schools to close on Monday
The recall of more coloured sand products prompted the ACT education department to announce 70 Canberra schools would be closed on Monday.
One school in Queensland was also closed on Friday.
ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry said the latest recalled products were used even more widely in Canberra schools than the initially identified products.
"That means that while we would have been able to reopen many schools from Friday, we are now in a position that we need to close additional schools [on Monday]," she said.
The South Australian Department for Education on Saturday confirmed coloured sand products linked to the contamination scare had so far been identified at more than 100 sites in the state, with loose sand found at "about 20 sites" and sand in containers at a further 88.
No schools have been closed in SA, but the state's education department has issued a hazard alert to "all schools, preschools and OSHC sites".
"Licensed asbestos contractors will start removing recalled sand products from Department for Education sites tomorrow [Monday] starting with sites with loose sand," an SA education department spokesperson said.
Campbell Primary School was one of more than a dozen schools closed on Friday. (ABC News: Monte Bovill)
In a post shared on social media Saturday night, ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry said asbestos removal teams had been "working around the clock" to get schools ready to reopen on Monday.
Asbestos removal teams spent Saturday cleaning Campbell Primary School. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Ms Berry acknowledged that the situation had been "worrying" for families and school staff, and she thanked the community for its "patience and understanding".
"Based on currently available information, the risk to human health from exposure to these products is assessed as low," she reiterated.
The latest information on ACT school closures can be found on the Education Directorate website.
At a press conference this morning, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said it was important that people were given up-to-date information.
"Also, that there is a proper analysis done on how this was imported and distributed,"he said.
Information on Queensland school closures can be found here.
Safework SA executive director Glenn Farrell said the sand products "would have gone through rigorous testing" when they were first imported into Australia.
"I think this is an example of how additional monitoring might be needed to ensure all the products are being monitored on some form of regular basis," he said.
"Whenever asbestos comes into this country, the relevant regulator where the import took place makes enquiries — in this case it was Victoria. So Victoria is undertaking an investigation with the importer and the supplier of these products."
On Sunday, SA Health said it was not recommending any clinical assessments of people exposed to the sand products.
Kmart's recall notice advises customers to stop using the affected magic sand products immediately.
People are advised to:
- Wear disposable gloves and a mask and either return in the original tub or place the sand in a heavy-duty plastic bag and double-tape it securely
- Not dispose of the products in general waste
- Find an asbestos waste disposal facility on The Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency website.