More than 30 children's toys have been recalled in the UK after play sand sold by Hobbycraft was found to be contaminated with asbestos. The products, ranging from candle-making kits to stretchy rubber toys, were sold by retailers including Tesco, Primark, Matalan and M&S.
Asbestos can cause cancer if inhaled, and its sale in any quantity is prohibited in the UK. The contamination is believed to originate from sand mined in China, where asbestos fibres occur naturally and labelling rules are less rigorous. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued an advisory note after the Guardian reported on Hobbycraft's recall in January.
Consumer group Which? criticised the failure in safety checks, with head of consumer protection policy Sue Davies calling for the OPSS to ensure proper checks are carried out. Traders have questioned the lab testing methods commonly used, as they failed to detect small quantities of asbestos. Products certified safe were later found contaminated under more reliable tests.
Campaigners have accused the UK government of failing to act after similar recalls in Australia and New Zealand. Laurie Kazan-Allen of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat said it took a Guardian article to force UK authorities to engage with the threat. Post-Brexit laws have shifted responsibility to exporters and retailers to test goods and report asbestos findings.
The government stated that companies must ensure their products are safe and act if hazardous. Kate Dearden, minister for product safety, called the sale of toys with asbestos 'staggering' and announced new measures to strengthen consumer protection and clamp down on irresponsible sellers.
