Asbestos contamination confirmed in coloured sand product

12 November 2025

(Updated 19 November 2025)

A decorative coloured sand product imported from China has been found to contain traces of chrysotile, a type of asbestos.  Laboratory testing of samples taken by WorkSafe ACT has confirmed that the contaminated product, sold as Kadink Decorative Sand, is present in the ACT and contains chrysotile.

The risk of exposure to traces of chrysotile is low. However, do not use the product and avoid any contact with potentially contaminated material. The product tested is sold in 6 packs of 10gram tubes.

If you are a PCBU:

If you believe that you may have the product in your business or undertaking (e.g. educational facility)

  • Stop using the product.
  • Determine where the product is present and then isolate/restrict access to that area (isolation should include turning off air conditioners and ceiling fans in the potentially contaminated area and closing windows and doors).
  • The person conducting the business or undertaking will need to engage a licensed asbestos assessor. The licensed assessor will assess the risk and determine the appropriate remediation action and, if necessary, the class of licensed asbestos removalist required to conduct the removal work.
  • Conduct a risk assessment.
  • Once the removal work has occurred to the satisfaction of the licensed assessor, a clearance certificate will be issued by the assessor.

For relevant exceptions to this, refer to section 419(3) of the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011.

If you have potentially contaminated sand in your home:

Sealed potentially contaminated coloured sand in unopened containers

Minor potentially contaminated coloured sand (On a hard surface)

  • Identify location of the sand.
  • Stop using the sand,
  • Determine whether your sand is the potentially contaminated product and where the sand is present.

If you are not confident, or uncomfortable, cleaning the potentially contaminated area yourself, you should take the following steps:

  • Contact a licensed asbestos assessor and advise of your situation. The licensed assessor will assess the risk and determine the appropriate remediation action and, if necessary, the class of licensed asbestos removalist required to conduct the removal work.
  • Once the removal work has occurred to the satisfaction of the licensed assessor, a clearance certificate will be issued by the assessor.

You may choose to clean the potentially contaminated area. If you choose to do so you should take the following steps:

  • Wear disposable gloves. Tuck the gloves under the elasticised cuffs of your clothing. If the cuffs are loose, tape them down to create a proper seal.
  • Wear a P2 rated face mask. Do not use a standard dust mask. A P2 respirator should fit snugly and cover half your face.
  • Wear protective eyewear. Use safety glasses to protect your eyes from dust and debris.
  • Use the wet spray method to wet the potentially contaminated area. For very small areas, a small spray water bottle may be sufficient (you can also add a small amount of surfactant (cleaning product) into the water which will help to limit dust generation). In all cases, the use of water should be in the form of a mist to minimise the potential to generate any dust (Note: Airborne asbestos fibres can be significantly suppressed when the wet spray method is used; however, they may not be entirely eliminated so effective PPE (see above) is also essential).
  • The wetted material should be removed (e.g. via a wet cloth).
  • Alternatively, wet wipes/ wet paper towels can also be used to clean up the material. This involves using a wet wipe to wipe and collect the material (with the same PPE). This material and wipes can be all be disposed of in the waste bag.
  • To effectively decontaminate yourself after the clean-up, remove gloves by rolling them down gently, taking care to keep the gloves inside out to contain any potential contamination. Keeping the P2 mask on, wipe hands and face around the mask with a wet wipe or wet paper towel to remove any potential fibres on your skin. Remove face mask and wipe hands again.
  • Place the product, wet cloth/wipe, gloves, and P2 mask / filter into a 200-micron plastic waste bag or, suitable alternate waste container dedicated for asbestos waste that is clearly labelled with an appropriate warning sign indicating asbestos waste. An example of the appropriate label can be found here: (Work Health and Safety (How to Safely Remove Asbestos Code of Practice) Approval 2022 | HTML view – Part 4.8)
  • Dispose of it at an appropriate asbestos disposal facility (Asbestos Recyclopaedia)

Potentially contaminated coloured sand on an artwork or arts and craft project

If you are not confident, or uncomfortable, disposing of an artwork or arts and craft project yourself you should take the following steps:

  • Contact a licensed asbestos assessor and advise of your situation. The licensed assessor will assess the risk and determine the appropriate remediation action and, if necessary, the class of licensed asbestos removalist required to conduct the removal work.
  • Once the removal work has occurred to the satisfaction of the licensed assessor, a clearance certificate will be issued by the assessor

You may choose to dispose of the artwork or arts and craft project yourself. If you choose to do so you should take the following steps:

  • Wear disposable gloves. Tuck the gloves under the elasticised cuffs of your clothing. If the cuffs are loose, tape them down to create a proper seal.
  • Wear a P2 rated face mask. Do not use a standard dust mask. A P2 respirator should fit snugly and cover half your face.
  • Wear protective eyewear. Use safety glasses to protect your eyes from dust and debris.
  • Use the wet spray method to wet the potentially contaminated item/s. A small spray water bottle may be sufficient (a binding agent such as PVA glue can be added to the spray to help stick any loose material down). In all cases, the use of water should be in the form of a mist to minimise the potential to generate any dust (Note: Airborne asbestos fibres can be significantly suppressed when the wet spray method is used; however, they may not be entirely eliminated so effective PPE (see above) is also essential).
  • The wetted item/s should be removed from its location
  • To effectively decontaminate yourself after the clean-up, remove gloves by rolling them down gently, taking care to keep the gloves inside out to contain any potential contamination. Keeping the P2 mask on, wipe hands and face around the mask with a wet wipe or wet paper towel to remove any potential fibres on your skin. Remove face mask and wipe hands again.
  • Place the product, wet cloth/wipe, gloves, and P2 mask into a 200-micron plastic waste bag or, suitable alternate waste container dedicated for asbestos waste that is clearly labelled with an appropriate warning sign indicating asbestos waste. An example of the appropriate label can be found here: (Work Health and Safety (How to Safely Remove Asbestos Code of Practice) Approval 2022 | HTML view – Part 4.8)
  • Dispose of it at an appropriate asbestos disposal facility (Asbestos Recyclopaedia)

Minor presence of potentially contaminated coloured sand (e.g. carpet, rugs or other soft furnishing)

  • Identify location of the sand.
  • Stop using the sand,
  • Determine whether your sand is the potentially contaminated product and where the sand is present.
  • Do not use a household vacuum cleaner to clean the area/items.
  • Contact a licensed asbestos assessor and advise of your situation. The licensed assessor will assess the risk and determine the appropriate remediation action and, if necessary, the class of licensed asbestos removalist required to conduct the removal work.
  • If removal work has occurred to the satisfaction of the licensed assessor, a clearance certificate will be issued by the assessor.

Moderate/significant presence of potentially contaminated coloured sand (e.g. landscaping, playgrounds)

  • Determine whether your sand is the potentially contaminated product and where the product is present and then isolate/restrict access to that area.
  • Engage a licensed asbestos assessor. The licensed assessor will assess the risk and determine the appropriate remediation action and, if necessary, the class of licensed asbestos removalist required to conduct the removal work.
  • If removal work has occurred to the satisfaction of the licensed assessor, a clearance certificate will be issued by the assessor.

Small quantities of asbestos can be disposed of at Mugga Lane and Mitchell Resource Management Centres for no cost. When disposing of asbestos at resource management centres in the ACT:

  • Material must be double wrapped in 200 micron (min) plastic and sealed (taped up)
  • Plastic packages should be no larger than 800 mm x 800 mm and weigh less than 250kg
  • Packages must be identified to facility operators at the weighbridges on arrival at the Resource Management Centre

Visit the City Services page for more information on disposal of asbestos: https://www.cityservices.act.gov.au/recyclopaedia/items/a/asbestos

200-micron disposal bags are available from hardware and safety supply shops. WorkSafe ACT can also provide them to anyone who believes they may have purchased the potentially contaminated product.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued a recall on related products

For information on safely carrying out minor routine maintenance or other small‑scale tasks involving asbestos‑containing materials: https://www.worksafe.act.gov.au/health-and-safety-portal/safety-topics/dangerous-goods-and-hazardous-substances/asbestos/minor-routine-maintenance-and-other-minor-work

If you have any questions or require assistance acquiring disposal bags, contact WorkSafe ACT via WorkSafe_Asbestos@worksafe.act.gov.au

This information is accurate for the ACT.

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