The widespread recall covers toys, craft kits and supplies used in wargame modelling
A list of children’s toys and adult modelling supplies has been recalled because they could contain asbestos. The new recall comes weeks after Hobbycraft pulled crafting kits for children when sand inside was found to be contaminated with asbestos.
Colour Forge has now issued a recall for Moss Green and Atlantiko Blue basing sands, used in modelling and wargames. The UK Office for Product Safety and Standards has issued a recall alert for a number of items – including more from Hobbycraft.
The Government says Hobbycraft Sand and Pom Pom Art Kit, Hobbycraft Easter Bumper Craft Kit and Hobbycraft Giant Box of Craft have been pulled from the shelves as well as the products presents a risk to health. The sand included in the sets may be contaminated with a small quantity of asbestos. Asbestos is a banned substance because it poses a risk to health even at low levels of exposure.
The OPSS said: “We recommend owners stop using this product immediately and keep it out of the reach of children.”
As well as the modelling sand and the Hobbycraft crafting kits, the recall covers My Living World Worm Kit.
Sue Davies, Which? Head of Consumer Protection Policy, said: “It is shocking that deadly asbestos has been found in children’s toys sold at major retailers. This points to serious failures in product safety checks. Manufacturers and retailers must urgently review their supplier oversight and testing to make sure unsafe products are not reaching stores in the first place.
“The Office for Product Safety and Standards needs to take action and ensure proper checks are being carried out to keep dangerous products off the shelves. It should also examine whether toys containing asbestos are being sold on online marketplaces, where there is far more limited regulation.”
The OPSS has issued disposal instructions
- Stop using the product immediately.
- If the sand is still in its packaging, place in a heavy-duty plastic bag, double tape it securely, label it clearly and store in a secure location out of the reach of children.
- If the sand has been used, clean up sites where the product was used using wet cloths to avoid generating dust. Wear gloves and a mask. Double bag the sand, gloves, mask and cloths.
- Keep children and other people away from areas where the sand has been used until the area has been cleaned.
- Return the sand vials from the product to your nearest Hobbycraft store for a full refund.
- If you are unable to get to a Hobbycraft store, please follow the instructions above and dispose of the sand in your general household waste. Contact Hobbycraft for a full refund.
Colour Forge’s recall notice said: “Testing to date indicates that there is Trace Asbestos Detected in some samples tested. Out of an abundance of caution, we have also temporarily removed the remainder of our basing sand range from sale, through our website and retailers, whilst we carry out more extensive testing.
“We will, of course, provide further information on this and any further actions if they are required.”
Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring minerals made of microscopic, needle-like fibres. For decades, it was hailed as a “miracle mineral” because it is incredibly strong, heat-resistant, and doesn’t conduct electricity.
We now know it is one of the most significant occupational health hazards in history. The danger isn’t in the mineral itself, but in its fibres. When asbestos-containing materials are disturbed (broken, sanded, or ageing), they release a dust of tiny fibres that are invisible, stay airborne for days and are indestructible.
Once inhaled, they travel deep into the lungs. Because they are chemically resistant, the body cannot break them down or easily expel them. Exposure doesn’t make you sick immediately. There is a latency period of 10 to 40 years before symptoms appear.
Major diseases include mesothelioma – a rare, aggressive, and almost always fatal cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen. It is almost exclusively caused by asbestos.; asbestosis: – serious, permanent scarring of the lung tissue that makes breathing increasingly difficult and lung cancer.
The risk to children playing with very small amounts of asbestos is believed to be relatively low.
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