Assuring the absence of asbestos in sand-containing toys
An advisory note clarifying OPSS' expectations of businesses to understand and control the risk of asbestos contamination throughout the product supply chain.
Assuring the absence of asbestos聽in聽sand-containing聽toys聽
This聽statement clarifies the expectations of聽businesses聽delivering their legal responsibilities for product safety,聽when聽assuring the absence of asbestos in sand-containing聽toys聽they place on the market.听聽
Businesses鈥� legal responsibilities聽
Under UK product safety legislation,聽businesses placing sand-containing聽toys聽on the UK market聽are responsible for聽ensuring those products are safe.听
In聽the case of聽these聽products, businesses聽must聽ensure聽they聽are free from asbestos聽presence聽and聽comply with聽all applicable legal requirements.听
Responsibility for product safety rests with the business placing the product on the market.听No product should be placed on the market if聽its聽safety cannot be assured.听
Product testing聽聽
Testing can help聽identify聽the presence of asbestos in products. However, factors such as the nature of asbestos contamination and the limitations of sampling mean that testing alone cannot provide assurance that products are free from asbestos contamination.听聽
Testing should therefore be viewed as one聽component聽of a broader supply chain assurance approach rather than being relied on in isolation.听
Supply chain assurance聽
Businesses should take steps to understand and聽control聽the risk of asbestos contamination throughout聽the聽product聽supply chain.听
This may include obtaining assurance from suppliers, understanding the origin of raw materials,聽maintaining聽appropriate quality聽controls during manufacturing聽and processing, and using product testing as part of a broader assurance approach.听聽
Businesses should consider established supply chain assurance processes, including the .听
Evidence and documentation聽
Businesses should聽maintain聽appropriate documentation聽demonstrating聽how they have assured themselves that products are free from asbestos聽throughout the supply chain.听
Businesses should be聽prepared to聽provide relevant technical documentation to regulators聽on request.听聽
Regulatory oversight聽
OPSS will continue market surveillance and compliance activity to assess whether businesses are meeting their legal obligations.听聽
Where assurance cannot be demonstrated聽
Businesses should not supply sand-containing聽toys聽where they cannot聽assure聽that products are free from asbestos聽and are safe.听
Where asbestos is聽identified聽in products, businesses should聽continue to聽take聽immediate聽action to protect consumers聽by:聽notifying regulators, informing customers, and conducting聽product聽withdrawals聽and聽recalls.听
础诲诲颈迟颈辞苍补濒听补诲惫颈肠别听
Advice for businesses聽regarding聽testing聽is available here:聽Testing for asbestos in sand - 扒哥吃瓜聽and there is broader guidance on asbestos in聽toys聽for businesses and consumers:聽Asbestos in consumer products - 扒哥吃瓜.