Children’s play sand has been withdrawn from sale by Hobbycraft after a parent alerted them to apparent traces of asbestos in the product.
The parent warned the craft company after she sent samples of the sand off to a testing lab. The parent claimed that the testing found traces of asbestos fibres were found in the bottles of yellow, green and pink sand that were sold in the Giant Box of Crafts kit.
Hobbycraft said that no UK authority had warned of a risk and that there was no evidence of harm to customers.
A spokesperson said: “As a precaution, we have voluntarily removed the product from sale while we carry out independent testing through an accredited UK laboratory, working in line with regulatory and product-safety guidance...We will update customers as soon as we are in a position to do so.”
The parent, who did not want to be named, told The Guardian: “The bottles of coloured sand looked extremely similar to ones I had seen on a news report of play sand recalled in Australia.
“I was concerned enough to buy a set at Hobbycraft and send it to an accredited lab for testing. Three of the five colours came back positive for fibrous tremolite asbestos,” she claimed.
A government source said that Hobbycraft should recall the product itself. They told the paper: “Parents are right to be concerned by this. Officials are investigating, but there’s no good reason why Hobbycraft shouldn’t recall this themselves, given the evidence.”
A spokersperson for Hobbycraft added: “We have been made aware of a customer claim relating to laboratory testing of a children’s play sand product sold by Hobbycraft. While we have not been provided with the underlying samples or methodology, we take any such claim extremely seriously. Product safety is of the utmost importance to Hobbycraft.”
In November last year, 69 schools were forced to close in Australia after coloured play sand was recalled due to asbestos risk.
Asbestos is more dangerous when it becomes airborne and can be inhaled, such as during building demolitions. Inhaling any form of asbestos can cause cancer, and there is no safe level of exposure. However, the risks increase with the amount you are exposed to.
Those likely to become ill from asbestos are usually exposed to it on a regular basis.
