More than 30 children’s toys ranging from sand art kits to stretchy rubber toys have been recalled in the UK since the start of the year after being found to contain asbestos.
Retailers including Tesco, Primark, Matalan, Smyths Toys, The Entertainer, Aldi, Argos, Asda and M&S have taken the toys off shelves after they were found to contain the substance, recall information on the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) website shows.
Asbestos causes mesothelioma, a cancer which usually starts in the layers of tissue that cover the lungs, and the UK prohibits the sale of products containing it in any quantity.
It is thought that the affected toys all contain sand from mines in China where asbestos fibres can occur naturally and where labelling rules are less rigorous.
Consumers are urged to check if they own these products by looking at the recalls page of the OPSS on the gov.uk website.
If they do, they should stop using them immediately and store them in a secure location out of reach of children.
If the sand is still in its packaging, consumers should place it in a heavy-duty plastic bag, double tape it securely and return it to the place of purchase.
In January, Hobbycraft withdrew its Giant Box of Craft kits from sale after a customer alerted it to asbestos traces in the bottles of coloured sand.
Hobbycraft issued a national recall of the craft box, with customers instructed to seal the contaminated bottles in double bags and seek council advice on disposal. It has since recalled four further craft sets containing sand.
In March, the OPSS issued a technical advisory note for businesses and industry on testing for asbestos in consumer products containing sand such as toys, hobby and decorative products.
Earlier this month, the OPSS recalled the HGL Stretchy Sand Monster Truck, Scrunchems Stretchies Sleepy Dino Toy and HGL Stretchy Sand Pig over fears the sand the products are filled with may be contaminated with asbestos.
All three toys are said to originate from China and are distributed by One For Fun Limited.
At the time, One For Fun chief executive David Mordecai said the firm had become aware of global reports concerning the presence of trace asbestos in sand used within certain consumer products and had immediately conducted independent testing across its full range of sand-filled items.
He said: “We take product safety extremely seriously. As a result, we have discontinued the use of sand as a filler in all current and future products.”
Minister for product safety Kate Dearden said: “It is staggering toys are being sold with asbestos, and I know how concerning this will be for parents. We’re taking action with new measures to strengthen consumer protection and clamp down on irresponsible sellers.
“Our product safety laws are clear – businesses must ensure the products they sell are safe and act when they have sold unsafe products to consumers.
“We work closely with the EU, Trading Standards and the toy industry to ensure businesses act immediately, and any products which test positive for asbestos are removed from sale and recalled.”
The consumer group Which? said the number of recalls in the last three months pointed to a serious failure in safety checks.
Which? head of consumer protection policy Sue Davies said: “The Office for Product Safety and Standards needs to take action and ensure proper checks are being carried out to keep dangerous products off the shelves.
“It should also examine whether toys containing asbestos are being sold on online marketplaces where there is far more limited regulation.”
In November, contaminated play sand found in Australia and New Zealand led to government recalls and the closure of schools and nurseries.
However, similar products remained on sale in the UK and Europe.
Laurie Kazan-Allen, of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, said: “The UK recalls since then are a result of individual tests carried out by manufacturers and sellers and not of testing by the UK authorities.”
Hobbycraft said: “We take the safety and quality of our products extremely seriously.
“Earlier this year, following a customer query, we took immediate action to investigate concerns relating to sand-based craft products. As a precaution, we removed affected products from sale and initiated further testing.
“While initial supplier testing and certification met required standards, more advanced testing identified trace levels of asbestos in certain products. We acted quickly to notify the relevant authorities, including the OPSS, and issued recalls to customers.
“We have since removed all sand-based products from sale and continue to work closely with our suppliers and regulators to ensure the highest safety standards are met.”
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