Just venting / freaking out about Asbestos found in Kmart magic sand. We have a tub in our house that we've played with quite a lot. This is clearly a developing story as there's not much information about what we should do. I don't even know how we would go about testing/decontaminating the house. Crazy stuff.
Got to wonder why these things aren't tested before being able to be sold in NZ. It takes something like this to actually result in changes , which is just typical.
Who ends up paying to get these hazmat suit guys in because guessing that isn't cheap?
Probably has been tested a number of times, especially in Australia. I guess it is natural product, so probably tested often at source but hard to pick everything up.
I worked in a mine with hazardous fibres (asbestos) which we tested every day for (I am trained for hazardous fibres and have used HASMAT suits). You can take many samples of rock with potential hazardous fibres but you are never 100% sure and then someone else can test the same rock the next day and get a hit. We got one uncontrolled hit in the 3 years I was there and the fibre was sourced from a crushed gravel that the drainlayer was using to bed the new drainage pipes that were getting installed in the mining camp. The gravel came a local quarry not related to the mine site.
Basically the risk is likely very low from this product. It will be interesting to see how many fibre hits they get with. the more extensive testing now.
I just wanna know if it's this specific batch. We checked our batch numbers and it wasn't the one listed but still throwing ours way just in case. God's know how many times our kids played with it and touched their face or ate something afterward sigh.
Ours matched that batch number :( and of course we vacuumed it up every time it got on our carpets.
… of course we vacuumed it up every time it got on our carpets.
What other (practical) choice did you have? You didn't do anything wrong at all.
WorkSafe might have advised that you should have called in professionals, removed all the carpets to a secure disposal facility, demolished the house, and rebuilt at least 250m away from the original site, which would have to be concreted over, and had perpetual monitoring systems installed. But wait! How did they know - ah, yes, they knew with…. hindsight!
Bear in mind that these things are a bit like the lottery - nobody rationally buys a lottery ticket, and actually expects to have any outcome other than losing everything they bet. If you ask around enough, somebody will know somebody who knew someone who was exposed to a contaminant in their past, and got something nasty … of course, but then there are supposedly only six degrees of separation to almost everyone on the planet.
I know its easy to say, but honestly - I would not be worrying about it, and there's nothing more you can do once you've removed it from your home.
Upvote from me Alan.
Same, we vacuumed multiple bits that we couldn't wipe up off our floorboards. And we have a bagless Dyson ugh so I guess we're gonna have to somehow deep clean it.
We just found we have a matching batch number which was scary. We've got it all double-bagged and are figuring out disposal, but I looked up the WorkSafe info which did help. The report said no airborne breathable fibres were detected in the samples, and the fact that kinetic sand is supposed to be sticky and clumpy acts as another natural barrier.
Our kids weren't pulverising it with hammers or anything, which is what they said the real danger would be. Not trying to suggest its not a serious recall, but it did give me some peace of mind about their play. Literally had it out 2 weeks ago!
Quote from Worksafe: " "Importantly, respirable asbestos has not been detected in any of the tested samples. The release of respirable asbestos fibres is unlikely to occur in its current state, unless the sand is processed by mechanical means such as crushing or pulverising. The risk that any asbestos found, that is likely to be airborne or fine enough for inhalation, is low."
This article from the Australian ABC might help alleviate some concerns: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-15/first-school-reopens-…
One point the expert in it makes is that the risk from asbestos comes specifically from inhaling it - eating it for example (as you might fear with little kids) isn’t actually a big problem.
Not sure if it will help, but this is a summary of what the MoE has sent to schools / kindys regarding the issue. I would note that WorkSafe have something of a reputation for being unrealistic in their advice (generally) - they seem to have little or no element of 'common sense' or economic reality with respect to health and safety in general, but I have included what the MoE included from WorkSafe as well.
MBIE Advice (via the MoE): Stop using these products immediately, secure them and dispose them safely.
• We urge schools and early learning services 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.
• Where you have higher volumes of these products, you should contact a licensed asbestos assessor or removalist for immediate advice and support on your specific situation.
MoE Advice to Schools / Kindys:
• At this stage, we do not have enough information to quantify the risk to people’s health, which is why we are taking a precautionary approach.
• Asbestos exposure is a serious health hazard.
• People are not required to take any immediate steps to manage their health if they, or their children, have been exposed to this product. However, asbestos exposure can potentially affect your long-term health.
WorkSafe advice for schools and early learning services:
• If the sand is in a sealed container, move it to a secure location away from people.
• If individuals are currently using the sand, they should put it down and relocate to a sand-free, well-ventilated area. Instruct everyone to leave the area, block it off and make sure it is not accessible.
• Do not vacuum or sweep floors where there is sand or attempt to clean it up. Contact a licensed asbestos assessor or removalist for immediate advice and support on your specific situation. Details of Class A licensed removalists are available on the WorkSafe website.
• Do not return to the affected area until the extent of contamination is established, and after the area is remediated by an expert.
• MBIE is working with the supplier(s) to ensure the products are tested to confirm if asbestos contamination has occurred.
Contact details:
KMART: +0800 945 995; kmart.co.nz
For health concerns: Healthline 0800 611 116
For questions regarding workplace disposal: WorkSafe 0800 030 040
For public recalls: Product Safety 0508 426 678