UK Craft Store Withdraws Coloured Play Sand After Asbestos Discovery Amid Criticism of Post-Brexit Gaps in Health and Safety Law.
Hobbycraft has pulled its "Giant Box of Craft" play sand kit from sale after a UK parent raised concerns that the coloured sand contained asbestos. The discovery comes just two months after similar products were recalled in Australia following testing, which also revealed traces of asbestos fibres in the Chinese-manufactured items.
The parent in question had initially bought a set of the craft sand at Hobbycraft's store and then sent it to an accredited lab for testing, only to find that three out of five colours contained asbestos. Despite this finding, Hobbycraft has declined to issue a formal recall notice but instead announced its intention to voluntarily withdraw the product from sale.
However, critics have accused the company of being slow to act and argue that it should be taking a more proactive approach in protecting customer safety. The British Occupational Hygiene Society has stated that post-Brexit gaps in health and safety law are leaving authorities unable to issue recalls without hard evidence of harm to health.
The organisation's CEO, Prof Kevin Bampton, believes that the "precautionary principle" - which allowed for the restriction of hazardous products without scientific evidence - should be reinstated. He argues that this would enable governments to act more quickly in protecting public health and preventing potential long-term risks from exposure to asbestos.
A government source has also expressed frustration with Hobbycraft's response, stating that parents are "right to be concerned" by the discovery and that officials are investigating the issue. However, a spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade dismissed these claims, arguing that the UK already has some of the most robust product safety laws in the world.
As for the health risks posed by the contaminated sand, campaigners have noted that while the quantities present may be small, long-term exposure to asbestos remains poorly understood. Prof Bampton has warned that this issue should serve as a wake-up call for regulatory change and more proactive measures to protect human health from potential risks.
Hobbycraft has pulled its "Giant Box of Craft" play sand kit from sale after a UK parent raised concerns that the coloured sand contained asbestos. The discovery comes just two months after similar products were recalled in Australia following testing, which also revealed traces of asbestos fibres in the Chinese-manufactured items.
The parent in question had initially bought a set of the craft sand at Hobbycraft's store and then sent it to an accredited lab for testing, only to find that three out of five colours contained asbestos. Despite this finding, Hobbycraft has declined to issue a formal recall notice but instead announced its intention to voluntarily withdraw the product from sale.
However, critics have accused the company of being slow to act and argue that it should be taking a more proactive approach in protecting customer safety. The British Occupational Hygiene Society has stated that post-Brexit gaps in health and safety law are leaving authorities unable to issue recalls without hard evidence of harm to health.
The organisation's CEO, Prof Kevin Bampton, believes that the "precautionary principle" - which allowed for the restriction of hazardous products without scientific evidence - should be reinstated. He argues that this would enable governments to act more quickly in protecting public health and preventing potential long-term risks from exposure to asbestos.
A government source has also expressed frustration with Hobbycraft's response, stating that parents are "right to be concerned" by the discovery and that officials are investigating the issue. However, a spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade dismissed these claims, arguing that the UK already has some of the most robust product safety laws in the world.
As for the health risks posed by the contaminated sand, campaigners have noted that while the quantities present may be small, long-term exposure to asbestos remains poorly understood. Prof Bampton has warned that this issue should serve as a wake-up call for regulatory change and more proactive measures to protect human health from potential risks.
this whole thing is fishy, you know? I mean, Hobbycraft just happens to pull the sand kit from sale right after some parent raises concerns... it's like they're trying to cover something up 
. And what about all those gaps in health and safety law post-Brexit? That's just a whole lot of convenient coincidences 
. I'm not saying there's definitely asbestos or anything, but why are they so slow to act? It's like they're waiting for something... or someone 
. And that CEO guy, Prof Bampton, he sounds like he's onto something. Maybe this whole thing is just a cover for some bigger agenda 
. I'm watching this one, folks... it's gonna be interesting 
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. The fact that they only withdrew the product voluntarily, without a formal recall notice, raises questions about their priorities 
. And what really gets me is that they're saying the UK already has some of the most robust product safety laws in the world 
... but it's clear that these laws aren't being applied consistently or effectively in this case 
.
. The British Occupational Hygiene Society is spot on in calling for the reinstatement of the precautionary principle 
... it's time for our leaders to step up and protect public health, not just talk about it 
.
... I mean, what's the deal with Hobbycraft? They're basically playing it super safe by pulling their own product off shelves after some mum tests it out and finds asbestos 
. At the same time, though, they don't feel the need to go full-on recall mode, which is just weird 
Like, I get it, there needs to be evidence and all that, but three out of five colours contained asbestos! That's not exactly rocket science, right? 
The British Occupational Hygiene Society is saying the "precautionary principle" should be reinstated, which kinda makes sense... but then again, isn't that just creating more problems with over-regulation and red tape? 
Asbestos is bad news, folks, we need to get serious about keeping our kids safe. It's time for some tough love and more proactive measures from the government. 
They can't just say it's safe because they claim so - science gotta back that up! 
it's not like they're hiding it or anything, but still, why wait till someone tests it? should've been done months ago 
and what's with the "voluntarily" part? sounds like they just don't wanna deal with it 
anyone else got a gut feeling that this is gonna lead to some major changes in product safety laws... we all know how that goes 
and now ppl are complaining about the lack of regulation post brexit... don't get me wrong, safety laws should be tightened up for sure! 
ugh, all i wanna know is why this took so long to come out in the open in the first place. 
Still, it's pretty obvious that there was a gap in the law that allowed this stuff to get out there in the first place. 
Post-Brexit changes have been a bit of a mess for health and safety regulations, imo... 
It's time for the government to take another look at how things are set up and maybe bring back some of those old precautionary principle rules... 
I'm not saying Hobbycraft did anything wrong on purpose or anything, but they're just following the letter of the law as it stands now. 
. isnt there some kinda standard or regulation thats supposed to be enforced here? 
. safety should always come first! 
But I guess that wouldn't be as market-friendly for them. 
Those products were made in China, like in a factory 3 miles away from my doorstep... 
what if it was me or someone else who got exposed? 
We need stronger regulations on this stuff! 
They're really slow to act on this one, you know? I mean, they could've just issued a recall notice like some other companies would've done already. 
It's like, yeah, you should definitely take responsibility and issue a proper recall, or at least tell people why it's being pulled from shelves. 
Hobbycraft should've done their own tests before selling it, y'know? Slow response just makes me wanna scream 
. We need better laws to protect our kids, that's for sure 
. And I don't think it's fair to say that Hobbycraft is trying to cover something up - they're just taking responsibility and being proactive about customer safety 
. Let's focus on fixing the gaps in our laws rather than attacking the company that's trying to do the right thing 
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. Like, why do we need scientific evidence to prove that something is bad? We should be able to trust our instincts and take action when things feel off 
Two months after the first discovery and they're only now announcing a recall? That's just not cool, fam