26/06/2026
You may remember an update from Spring this year concerning product safety alerts and recalls from the Office for Product Safety & Standards (OPSS) for some childrenâs products which contained traces of asbestos.
The products of concern were produced in China and featured sand filled toys and craft or science kits containing vials of coloured sand. Guidance and the link to the OPSS webpage were included in the update.
The OPSS, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have now issued a joint statement about these products aimed at providing accurate information to the public on the risk levels and about what to do if they think they own or have come into contact with products.
You can view the full statement at the link below.
The statement provides reassurance that the risks to health presented by these re-called products are low during normal use, even with occasional short-term exposures and when following the disposal instructions.
To reduce any potential risks to health, it is important to stop any use or access to the affected products and follow the clean-up and recall advice using the link included in the joint statement.
To reduce the likelihood of similar issues in the future, please ensure products are purchased from reputable suppliers of educational resources. UK sourced play sand â including coloured sand â can be sourced from your usual reliable suppliers guaranteed asbestos free to meet the BS EN 71-3 and/or BSEN1177 standards.
While no supplier is completely risk free, trusted suppliers will notify customers directly and promptly if a recall or alert is issued.
đ https://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint-statement-on-asbestos-in-consumer-products
