Three ‘Stretchy’ toys have been recalled over fears the sand the products are filled with may be contaminated with asbestos. The HGL Stretchy Sand Monster Truck, Scrunchems Stretchies Sleepy Dino Toy and HGL Stretchy Sand Pig have been recalled by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS).
Notices uploaded to the regulator’s website state the products could present a “risk to health” due to the fact they may have been contaminated with a “small quantity” of the banned substance. All three toys are said to originate from China and are distributed by One For Fun Limited. Asbestos causes mesothelioma, a cancer which usually starts in the layers of tissue that cover the lungs. Each notice advises owners of the three toys to stop using the products “immediately” and to keep them out of the reach of children.
The OPSS has also issued instructions on how to dispose of the toys correctly.
It states that if the toy is undamaged, owners should « place in a heavy-duty plastic bag, double tape it securely, label it clearly and store in a secure location out of reach of children ».
If the toy is damaged, and the sand inside is accessible, users are advised to wear gloves and a mask to clean areas where the product has been used using wet cloths.
Owners of the toys should then double bag the sand, gloves, mask and cloths.
« Keep children an other people away from areas where the sand has been used until the area has been cleaned, » the notices state.
It adds that the toys should be disposed of in general household waste or returned to a store specified by the retailer.
The toys have been withdrawn from the market and recalled from users by One For Fun Limited.
In a statement to the Press Association, One for Fun chief executive David Mordecai said: “We are aware of recent global reports concerning the presence of trace asbestos in sand used within certain consumer products.
“This has affected many toy companies throughout the world.
“As a precautionary measure, we immediately conducted independent testing across our full range of sand-filled items.
“While current safety standards (EN71) do not require testing for asbestos, our investigations identified that three of our products contained trace contamination.
“These products have been withdrawn from the market.
“We take product safety extremely seriously. As a result, we have discontinued the use of sand as a filler in all current and future products.
“We remain committed to the highest safety standards and will continue to monitor and review our materials and processes accordingly.”
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