Asbestos has been found in a children’s worm kit, which was distributed in schools and sold through toy shops. The educational science kit which let children observe earthworms in sand and soil has been recalled.
The My Living World Worm World Kit was recalled on Wednesday after laboratory testing detected tremolite asbestos, a naturally occurring type of asbestos, in some samples of the sand which is included in the kit.
Asbestos is banned across the European Union due to the health risk it poses.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is advising consumers who have the product in their home to stop using it immediately.
RM Block
It said, if the sand is still packaged, place it in a heavy-duty plastic bag, seal it securely, label it clearly, store it in a secure location out of reach of children and contact your local authority for advice on collection and disposal.
If the sand has been used, consumers are advised to clean sites where the product was used using wet cloths to avoid generating dust. They are asked to wear gloves and a protective mask, then double bag the sand, gloves, mask and cloths. Seal it securely, label it clearly and store it in a secure location out of reach of children. It also advises to contact the local authority for advice on collection and disposal.
It also said to keep children and other people away from areas where the sand has been used until the area has been cleaned and before disposal, contact the distributor the item was purchased from to request a refund.
Scientific Laboratory Supplies Limited (SLS Ltd) is carrying out a recall of this product from several schools it has supplied in Ireland.
The CCPC has contacted the Health and Safety Authority, SLS Ltd and the schools regarding this recall.
The product was sold and distributed through a number of Irish retailers, which confirmed to date are Oliver Douglas & Sons, Roscrea Road, Birr and Kellys Toymaster, Church Road, Tullamore in Co Offaly, Banba Toymaster, 48 Mary Street in Dublin 1, Hopkins Toymaster, Main Street in Wicklow Town, Toy Corner, Moycullen in Co Galway and Eamonn Fahey Toymaster, Crossmolina Road, Ballina in Co Mayo.
The product has also been distributed and sold through Amazon to Irish consumers and possibly through other online channels, the CCPC said.
The brand is My Living and the product code is LW102C.
The CCPC said it continues to work with the HSA and other relevant agencies and will update its notice if more information becomes available.
