Children exposed to toxic, coloured sand that’s forced dozens of ACT schools to close face an extremely low risk of asbestos contamination, an expert says.

Families have been told they shouldn’t be alarmed by the asbestos scare after the tainted rainbow-coloured sand, sold in shops across Australia, was removed from shelves.

About 70 schools in the ACT have also been closed for decontamination after the toxic substance was reported in a number of brands of children’s sand products.

Asbestos is a “deadly dust” and exposure to even a small amount can lead to terrible consequences, the Asbestos and Dust Diseases Research Institute’s Anthony Linton said.

But asbestos did not appear to be airborne in the latest scare which helped minimise the risk, he said.

“They (people) are absolutely right to be nervous, but … it feels as though very much that this asbestos is within the sand itself,” Dr Linton told AAP.

“So it is not particles floating through the air that is going to be breathed into the lungs.”

It was too early for parents to look for symptoms of asbestos exposure in their children and there was no simple test for it, Dr Linton said.

The contamination risk for the children and adult teachers exposed to the sand across dozens of schools was considered “very low”.

“However, you can never say 100 per cent and that’s why the appropriate amount of caution is essential,” he said.

In the ACT, 69 schools were closed on Monday after more coloured sand products were recalled due to asbestos contamination concerns.

A Brisbane school was closed on Friday while another was identified with the affected product, the Queensland government said.

Some school closures could last days.

People who find the sand product at their homes should dispose of it properly to avoid a repeat of the Sydney asbestos crisis, when asbestos-contaminated mulch was found across dozens of parks, schools and other public NSW sites in 2024.

“There has been cases where people will throw asbestos into green bins that then get processed and turned into mulch,” hazardous materials management firm EDP Consultants’ John Batty told AAP.

“We don’t want these products getting back into the community.” 

People should double bag the product, seal it with strong tape and label it “do not open” before visiting the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency website for more information.

Asbestos removal contractors worked over the weekend to remove sand supplied by Officeworks from ACT schools.

Widespread ACT school closures were announced after Kmart and Target also issued a voluntary recall for a colour sand product.

Licensed asbestos contractors will test, remediate and clear the spaces for use again, the ACT government said.

“All of the air testing that our contractors have done across public schools so far has been negative to airborne asbestos.”

Safety alerts have been issued in nearly every state and territory urging schools, consumers and service providers to stop using the sand products. 

Products linked to the asbestos scare have been identified at more than 100 sites in South Australia, with hazard alerts issued but no schools closed.

The product found at ACT schools was imported from China and sold as Kadink Decorative Sand in tubes weighing 10 grams, Worksafe ACT said.

It comes after a national recall of children’s sand products sold at retailers including Officeworks, Educating Kids, Modern Teaching Aids and Zart Art.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission issued alerts after asbestos traces were detected in laboratory testing.

Click here for the latest information from the ACT Government regarding the asbestos situation.

Latest advice as at 5PM Monday 17 November.

Schools remaining CLOSED on Tuesday 18 November

Primary school closures include attached preschools.

• Aranda Primary School
• Black Mountain School
• Campbell Primary School
• Cranleigh School
• Evatt Primary School
• Evelyn Scott School
• Florey Primary School
• Forrest Primary School
• Gowrie Primary School
• Gordon Primary School
• Isabella Plains Early Childhood School
• Latham Primary School
• Macgregor Primary School
• Macquarie Primary School
• Maribyrnong Primary School
• Miles Franklin Primary School
• Malkara School
• Mount Rogers Primary School
• Neville Bonner Primary School
• Ngunnawal Primary School
• Southern Cross Early Childhood School
• The Woden School
• Wanniassa School
• Weetangera Primary School
• Yarralumla Primary School

Schools open for SOME STUDENTS on Tuesday 18 November 2025.

The number of areas isolated means that we can’t accommodate all students on site. Some areas of the following schools have been isolated until remediation and clearance of those areas occurs. Some classes will be relocated in the interim.

• Arawang Primary School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Echidna Preschool students only, Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 (note Turtle Preschool students cannot be accommodated at this time)
• Chapman Primary School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Year 1, Year 2, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6
• Charles Weston Primary School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Preschool, Kindergarten, Year 5, Year 6
• Farrer Primary School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Preschool, Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2
• Giralang Primary School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Preschool, Year 5, Year 6 (note the Small Group Program cannot be accommodated at this time)
• Harrison School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, Senior Small Group Program
• Kaleen Primary School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6.
• Lyons Early Childhood School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Preschool, Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2 (note Early Childhood cannot be accommodated at this time)
• Majura  Primary School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Kindergaten, year 1, year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 (note the Small Group Program cannot be accommodated at this time)
• Margaret Hendry School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 (including Dom’s Small Group Program)
• Namadgi School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10
• North Ainslie Primary School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year4, Year 5, Year 6
• Red Hill
  • Open to Kindergarten, year 1, year 2, year 3, year 4, year 5, year 6
• Throsby School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6
• Turner School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Kingergarten, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6
• Torrens Primary School
  • Open to the following cohorts only: Year 2, Year 3, Year 5

Schools open to ALL STUDENTS on Tuesday 18 November 2025.

Some areas of the following schools have been isolated until remediation and clearance of those areas of occurs. Some classes will be relocated in the interim.

• Ainslie School
• Alfred Deakin High School
• Amaroo School
• Bonython Primary School
• Calwell High School
• Calwell Primary School
• Campbell High School
• Canberra College
• Canberra High School
• Charnwood-Dunlop School
• Caroline Chisholm School
• Curtin Primary School
• Duffy Primary School
• Erindale College
• Fadden Primary School
• Franklin School
• Fraser Primary School
• Garran Primary School
• Gilmore Primary School
• Gold Creek School
• Gungahlin College
• Hawker College
• Hawker Primary School
• Hughes Primary School
• Jervis Bay School
• Kingsford Smith School
• Lake Tuggeranong College
• Lanyon High School
• Lyneham High School
• Lyneham Primary School
• Mawson Primary School
• Monash Primary School
• Mount Stromlo High School
• Narrabundah Early Childhood School
• O’Connor Cooperative School
• Palmerston Primary School
• Richardson Primary School
• Taylor Primary School
• Telopea Park School
• Theodore Primary School
• University of Canberra High School Kaleen
• Wanniassa Hills Primary School

Schools open to ALL STUDENTS with no identified sand on site on Tuesday 18 November 2025

• Aunty Agnes Shea High School
• Belconnen High School
• Charles Conder Primary School
• Dickson College
• Lake Ginninderra Secondary College
• Melba Copland Secondary School
• Melrose High School
• Narrabundah College
• Shirley Smith High School

Note the following:

• Birrigai Outdoor School remains open for excursions
• Flexible Education programs are currently closed