LONDON, June 19 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
There isan increasing awareness and public concern about potential asbestos contamination in sand-containing consumer products.There area number ofproducts subject to arecallbecausetheyhave been found to containsmall amountsofasbestos.Recalledproducts includecraft kits,science kits, toys containing sand and decorative doorstops.No play pit sand iscurrentlysubject to a recall.
The governmentregularly brings together expertsacrossdepartmentsandagencies to ensure aclearresponseto topical issues.This statement has been prepared and jointly agreed by:
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TheOffice for Product Safety and Standards(OPSS) -UK'sproduct regulatorwith responsibility for the product safety framework
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TheUK Health Security Agency(UKHSA)-the executive agencyresponsible forprotectingpeople from health threats
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TheHealth and Safety Executive(HSE)-Britain'snational regulatorforworkplace healthandsafety
The statement:
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Providesclarity to business on their regulatory responsibilitiesin relationtoproducts they make, import or sellin relationtopotential contamination with asbestos;
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Providesinformation to the publicon what to doif they think they own or havecome into contact withproductssubject to an asbestos-related product recall; and
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Advisesthe publicabout the level of risk of any contact they may have had with recalled products orconcernsabout purchasesof similar products.
The statement:
The UK product safety frameworkprovidesa robust level of protectionand requiresall consumer products placed on the market to be safe in normal and reasonably foreseeable use. Our lawsplace clear legalresponsibilitieson business to ensurethesafety of consumer productsthey manufacture, import, distribute ormake available. Businesses must also monitor the productsfor safety risksoncetheyare placedon themarket, andmust act quickly to reduce or mitigate any issues.
Whileregulatory and enforcement decisions are generally shaped according to level ofrisk andthe principle ofproportionality,in the UK there is azero-toleranceapproach to asbestos in consumer products. Asbestosuse or importationhas been bannedsince1999andthe government is very clear-consumerproducts found to contain asbestosmustbe recalled.OPSSisrequiring industry to actto ensuretheyare meetingtheir responsibilities, including theremoval ofany consumerproductscontaining asbestosfrom sale and recall from consumers. This approach is reflective of our zero-tolerance approach. Itis notanindicationofthelevel of risk toany consumers.
Therisks relating to asbestosexposureare well known but thepresence of asbestosin a consumer productdoes not always mean there is an immediate dangerto health.The risk is dependent on how the product is used, and the amount and duration of any exposure.Asbestos materials which have not been broken or disturbed are unlikely to cause harmful effects to your health. If asbestos is disturbed, the fibres can be released into the airand ifbreathed incouldpossibly harm your health,depending on the amount and duration of any exposure over time.
The risks to health are expected to be low, for these recalled products during normal use, even with occasional short-term exposures and when following the disposal instructions.To reduce any potential risks to health, it is important to stop any use or access to the affected products and follow theclean-up and recall advice.
The government is committed to protecting the public and will continue to monitorthe situation, ensuring businesses take the appropriate action and will update advice to the public as and when appropriate.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
