Australian families are facing a widening product recall as fears over asbestos contamination in popular children's sand products escalate. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced the recall of four additional sand items sold at major retail chains Kmart and Target.
Expanded Recall List
The newly added products to the growing recall list include the Active Sandtub 14 piece Sand Castle Building Set, Blue Magic Sand, Green Magic Sand, and Pink Magic Sand. This action follows laboratory testing commissioned by the ACCC, which confirmed the presence of asbestos in some samples of these items.
Authorities have provided a crucial clarification, stating that respirable asbestos has not been detected in any of the tested samples. The consumer watchdog sought to reassure the public, explaining, "The risk that any asbestos found is likely to be airborne or fine enough for inhalation is low."
Nationwide Impact and School Closures
The initial warning issued by the ACCC last week triggered significant disruption across the education sector. More than 20 schools and preschools in the ACT were shut or partially shut on Friday, while a Brisbane school also closed for the day as a precautionary measure.
The contamination was first identified in coloured sand products labelled as Kadink Sand, Educational Colours — Rainbow Sand, and Creatistics — Coloured Sand. The detected substance was identified as tremolite asbestos, a naturally occurring form of the hazardous material.
These affected craft and sensory play products were sold nationwide between 2020 and 2025 at retailers including Officeworks, Educating Kids, Modern Teaching Aids, and Zart Art stores.
Official Response and Safety Advice
Jacqueline Agius, the ACT's WorkSafe commissioner, provided an update on Friday, noting that initial air tests at eight ACT schools had returned negative for asbestos. However, she confirmed that results from other forms of testing are still pending.
Safety alerts have now been issued in nearly every state and territory, urging schools, consumers, and service providers to immediately stop using the identified sand products.
Queensland's chief health officer, Dr Catherine McDougall, emphasised the precautionary nature of the response. "While the risk is low, our priority is the health and safety of Queenslanders, and we want to take every possible precaution," she stated. Dr McDougall confirmed that authorities are collaborating with state and national agencies responsible for asbestos management.
Consumers who possess any of the recalled products are advised to:
- Stop using the products immediately
- Contain them and place in double heavy-duty plastic bags
- Secure the bag openings with tape
- Keep the products out of children's reach and store safely until proper disposal can be arranged
Officeworks, one of the affected retailers, stated that their commissioned independent health and safety risk assessment found the safety risk to be "negligible." Nevertheless, the company proceeded with the product recall as a precautionary measure.
