One of the affected play sand brands. Photo: Supplied / Product Safety NZ
Early Childhood centres are concerned about the cost to remove and dispose of potentially asbestos contaminated products after asbestos was found in a range of coloured play sand.
Some schools and childhood centres have closed after a significant recall last week that included four products sold by Kmart.
The Early Childhood Council's chief executive Simon Laube told Midday Report the news was worrying to centres.
"It's still early days as we try and work out who has got the products and who hasn't but so far we've got one of our members who definitely was using two of the products in two centres," he said.
The cost of testing for asbestos and then potentially disposing of products was significant, he said.
More than 200 schools and childcare centres have sought advice from the Ministry of Education.
Laube said the cost was something many centres could not afford.
He wanted the government to step in and play a role.
"We're talking about young children in ECE and the adults who care for them and I think they deserve better than nothing really."
Remediation work would take time, Laube said.
The Ministry of Education said centres with the recalled sand should contact their regional office for more information and might want to request a refund from their supplier.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said four products sold by Kmart - the 14-piece sandcastle building set and the blue, green and pink Magic Sand sets - tested positive for tremolite, a form of asbestos associated with higher cancer risks at low exposure levels.
Some schools using the products closed as a precaution for asbestos testing, including Burnside Primary, Clearview Primary, Waitaha School and Gilberthorpe School in Canterbury, and Dunedin's Balaclava Primary.
The Ministry of Education said it could not confirm how many schools had closed.
Operations and integration leader Sean Teddy said 150 schools and 90 early learning services had sent queries as of 2pm Sunday.
"We are working closely with MBIE and WorkSafe to provide schools and early learning services with advice on testing, remediation and closure decisions," he said.
"We appreciate that the presence of asbestos in products that are used by children will cause worry for parents and caregivers. We recommend they contact Healthline with any health concerns they may have about their children who may have come into contact with these products."
Rolleston's Clearview Primary said it had identified one home base that used the recalled Kmart product. The school's board of trustees said a further four classrooms had used other brands of kinetic sand, or kinetic sand that had been removed from its packaging, making its origin unclear.
"At this stage, there is no immediate risk to staff or students. However, out of an abundance of caution, we are closing the school on Monday, Tuesday and possibly Wednesday this week while all our teaching and learning spaces are professionally tested," Clearview Primary said.
In a Facebook Post, Burnside Primary School said a recalled kinetic sand product sold at Kmart had been used in "some areas of our school".
The school said while the risk to staff and students was considered very low, it had been advised by WorkSafe to close on Monday as a precaution to complete testing and ensure learning spaces were safe.
In a post to Facebook, Waitaha School said it was also closed on Monday.
"Waitaha School will be closed on Monday November 17 as we have become aware that a number of areas of the school across satellites and the base school have been exposed to various coloured sand brands that have been recalled. The Ministry of Education have advised the Board to close the school and arrange for an investigation and clean by professional asbestos cleaners," the school said.
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment product safety spokesperson Ian Caplin said he understood how alarming the discovery would be for families.
"We appreciate that the presence of asbestos in products that are used by children will be concerning to parents and caregivers. We urge families who have purchased these products to stop using them immediately, secure them safely, and contact your local council for advice on where and how to dispose of the contaminated material safely," he said.
"If you are a workplace, where you may have higher volumes of these products or more people may have come in contact with the products, you should contact a licensed asbestos assessor or removalist for immediate advice and support on your specific situation. A list of these is available on the WorkSafe website."
Caplin said he anticipates the testing results to come back within the next few days.
Wellington City Council said following the urgent recall of Kmart's Magic Sand there was free disposal of the product at the city's Southern Landfill.
"To dispose of the sand, double bag the product and tape it shut. Clearly label it with 'Contains Asbestos'. Take it to the Southern Landfill and let the weighbridge staff know you have an item that may contain asbestos, and they will direct you to the appropriate place to dispose of it at the transfer station for free," the council said.
The contaminated Kmart products include:
- 14-piece Sandcastle Building Set
- Blue Magic Sand
- Green Magic Sand
- Pink Magic Sand
The newly identified products are in addition to the previously recalled sands from Educational Colours and Creatistics:
- EC Rainbow Sand (1.3kg)
- Creatistics Coloured Sand (1kg)
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
