Kmart has issued yet another product safety recall after asbestos was detected in additional play sand products.
The warning is the latest in a list of recalls of children’s products incorporating play sand and affects licensed sensory activity kits for Frozen, Paw Patrol and Bluey which are supplied by Hong Kong company HL Toys.
According to Kmart’s warning, the products may contain asbestos.
“The sand in the products may cause a risk to health as asbestos has been detected in some samples after laboratory testing,” the statement said.
“Importantly, respirable asbestos has not been detected in any of the tested samples.
“The release of respirable asbestos fibres is unlikely to occur in its current state, unless the sand is processed by mechanical means such as crushing or pulverising.”
Kmart says the risk of any of the asbestos being fine enough for inhalation, or airborne, is low.
Customers have been advised not to open the tubs containing sand that comes with the activity kits and to immediately stop using the kits if already opened.
Anyone with a tub of the sand included in the kits is advised to place the tub in a sealed plastic bag.
Customers have been warned not to place the tubs of sand in household waste but to dispose of them according to local asbestos guidelines.
Kmart is offering full refunds with proof of purchase.
The retail chain issued its last play sand product recall notice earlier in December, when sand in its Anko brand “make your own unicorn sand ornaments” kits was determined to be a potential asbestos risk.
The recalls also severely affected classes, forcing the closure of hundreds of schools that used children’s play sand products while investigations were conducted.
Earlier in November, Kmart recalled its Active Sand 14-piece sand castle building sets.
South Australian Education Minister Blair Boyer last month called for an inquiry into how asbestos-containing products are making their way into Australia.
Importation of items containing asbestos has been illegal in Australia since 2003.
“I want to know how this stuff got through our borders, how it ended up on the shelves of major retailers like Kmart and Target and then ended up in schools, preschools and thousands of households,” he said.
Asbestos in Wind Farms
The latest play sand warning comes as more Australian wind farms have also been found to be using components containing asbestos fibres.Mining magnate Andrew Forrest’s brand new $1 billion Clarke Creek Wind Farm in regional Queensland was confirmed as the latest affected site linked to the Chinese-owned developer and renewables supplier, Goldwind.
