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Nearly 70 public schools will be closed due to an ongoing asbestos scare after the toxic substance was reported in further brands of children’s sand products.
Monday’s compulsory closures in the ACT follow the shutdown of 23 schools and preschools there on Friday after the consumer watchdog warned a coloured sand may contain asbestos traces.
Some school closures could last days as decontamination work continues.
In Brisbane, one school had to shut its doors on Friday, while others across the country stayed operational despite the discovery of concerning products at several locations.
Asbestos removal contractors worked over the weekend to remove asbestos-tainted sand supplied by Officeworks from ACT schools.
But the ACT Education Department was obliged on Sunday to notify the closure of 69 schools on Monday after Kmart and Target issued a voluntary recall for a colour sand product that might contain asbestos.
“Unfortunately, these sand products are even more widely used in our schools than the Officeworks products,” ACT Education and Early Childhood Minister Yvette Berry said in a statement.
“We are now in a position that we need to close additional schools tomorrow.”
Families and staff have been informed of the closures by email.
Both school personnel and State Emergency Service volunteers conducted thorough inspections, diligently searching for any presence of colored sand and promptly reporting their findings.
Authorities have issued safety warnings advising educational institutions to discontinue the use of specific sand products.
According to Ms. Berry, specialized asbestos contractors are required to assess, clean, and certify the areas before they can be deemed safe, a process anticipated to span several days.
The product found at ACT schools was imported from China and sold as Kadink Decorative Sand in tubes weighing 10 grams, Worksafe ACT said.
It comes after a national recall of children’s sand products sold at retailers including Officeworks, Educating Kids, Modern Teaching Aids and Zart Art.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission issued alerts after asbestos traces were detected in laboratory testing.
