A total of 69 schools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) will be forced to close on Monday after coloured play sand was recalled due to asbestos risk, the government has said.
A recall for the products, which were found to have traces of asbestos in some samples, was issued by Kmart and Target on Saturday.
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) indicated that there was a low risk that the asbestos could become airborne or fine enough for inhalation.
Inspections of the schools are underway, but could take several days, said ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry in a post on Facebook. So far, air testing has come back negative to airborne asbestos from all inspected schools.
This decision follows previous partial closures of several schools and preschools in the region after concerns regarding asbestos risks in sand sold by Officeworks.
Unfortunately, these sand products are even more widely used in our schools than the Officeworks products, stated Berry.
Volunteers from the State Emergency Service and school staff are actively inspecting the schools, mapping all observed coloured sand items. The ACT government assures that individuals in contact with the sand do not require clinical assessments.
Berry emphasized the government's responsibility to mitigate risks where possible, even when the risk is minimal. Up to 23 schools will remain open as they either have minimal stocks of the sand or do not have any of the product.
The recalled products include items labelled as Active Sandtub 14 piece Sand Castle Building Set, as well as Blue, Green, and Pink Magic Sand. Asbestos, once a common building material, can release harmful fibers if disturbed, leading to serious health issues such as cancer. Importing or exporting asbestos is strictly prohibited under Australian law.
